Mika Ääritalo
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mika Ääritalo | ||
| Date of birth | 25 July 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Taivassalo, Finland | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | TPS Turku | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2002–2003 | TPS Turku | 5 | (0) |
| 2003–2005 | Aston Villa | 0 | (0) |
| 2005– | TPS Turku | 196 | (47) |
| 2014 | → Holstein Kiel (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2010– | Finland | 6 | (1) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 28 February 2014. | |||
Mika Ääritalo (born 25 July 1985) is a Finnish international footballer who plays as a striker for TPS Turku.
Career
Club career
After beginning his senior career in 2002 with hometown club TPS Turku,[1] English Premiership side Aston Villa beat a host of clubs from across Europe to the signing of Ääritalo in January 2003.[2] After failing to make a first-team appearance for Aston Villa, Ääritalo returned to first club TPS Turku in February 2005.
In June 2008, Portuguese BWINLIGA club C.D. Nacional were interested in signing Ääritalo, but the deal fell through due to cost and the fact that Ääritalo didn't want to move to Portugal.[3]
In January 2014, he joined the German 3. Liga side Holstein Kiel on a six-month loan. He has since played for Turun Palloseura, FC Lahti and Kuopion Palloseura.
International career
Ääritalo made his international debut in 2010.[4] He scored his first international goal on 22 January 2012, in a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago.
Career statistics
International goals
| # | Date | Location | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 22 January 2012 |  Port of Spain | Trinidad and Tobago | 2−3 | 2−3 | Friendly |
International
- As of 2 June 2012
| Finland national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2010 | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 | 3 | 0 |
| 2012 | 2 | 1 |
| Total | 6 | 1 |
References
- ↑ "Veikkausliiga statistics" (in Finnish). Veikkausliiga official website.
- ↑ "Villa snap up teenage star". BBC Sport. 18 October 2002. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
- ↑ Jari Welling (15 June 2008). "Nacional tekemässä TPS:lleuuden tarjouksen" (in Finnish). Turun Sanomat. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
- ↑ Mika Ääritalo at National-Football-Teams.com