Eetu Vertainen
Vertainen with HJK in 2018
Personal information
Date of birth (1999-05-11) 11 May 1999 (age 24)
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 Triestina
Number 99
Youth career
KyIF
HJK
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2020 Klubi 04 41 (13)
2017–2020 HJK 57 (8)
2021 Ilves 11 (4)
2021–2023 St Johnstone 7 (0)
2022 → Linfield (loan) 10 (4)
2022–2023 → Linfield (loan) 30 (17)
2023– Triestina 9 (0)
2023 → Athens Kallithea (loan) 3 (0)
International career
Finland U19
Finland U21 4[2] (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 March 2024

Eetu Vertainen (born 11 May 1999) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie C club Triestina.

Career

Vertainen began his youth career with KyIF, before joining the academy of HJK at the age of 11.[3][4] He started his senior career with Klubi 04, before playing for HJK and Ilves in the Veikkausliiga.[5]

Vertainen signed a two-year contract with Scottish club St Johnstone on 1 September 2021.[6][7]

He moved on loan to NIFL Premiership club Linfield on 7 February 2022.[8] On 19 March, he scored four goals in a 5–0 league win over Dungannon Swifts.[9][10]

On 30 June, his loan deal with the Northern Irish team was extended.[11][12] Following his performances, he was named the league's Player of the Month and won the Goal of the Month award for December 2022.[13] In January 2023, he scored hat-tricks in successive league matches.[14][15] Later in the same season, he was the subject of speculation about a permanent transfer to Linfield,[16] as well as links to Welsh club The New Saints.[17]

On 1 September 2023, Vertainen joined Serie C club Triestina on a permanent deal.[18][19] Since Triestina were unable to register him on time,[20] on 11 September he was loaned to Super League Greece 2 club Athens Kallithea until the end of the year, with an option to extend the deal for the rest of the 2023–24 season.[20][21]

References

  1. ^ "Profile" (in Finnish). Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  2. ^ Tulospalvelu Palloliitto
  3. ^ "KRISTALLINKIRKAS TAVOITE" (in Finnish). Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi. 24 April 2018. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  4. ^ "Eetu Vertaiselle jatkosopimus". Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi (in Finnish). 10 November 2020.
  5. ^ Eetu Vertainen at Soccerway. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Eetu Vertainen Signs 2 Year Deal". St Johnstone Football Club. 1 September 2021.
  7. ^ Gallagher, Matthew (1 September 2021). "Finnish striker Eetu Vertainen has "loads of potential", says Callum Davidson". Daily Record.
  8. ^ "St Johnstone loan Eetu Vertainen to Linfield". FourFourTwo. 7 February 2022.
  9. ^ "Four-goal Vertainen can still improve – Healy". BBC Sport. 19 March 2022.
  10. ^ "Irish League Round-Up: Eetu Vertainen to the four as Linfield stay top with Cliftonville keeping in touch after win at Glenavon". Belfast Telegraph. 19 March 2022.
  11. ^ "Eetu Vertainen moves to Linfield on loan". St Johnstone Football Club. 30 June 2022.
  12. ^ Fullerton, Gareth (30 June 2022). "Linfield announce the return of striker Eetu Vertainen". BelfastLive.
  13. ^ "Eetu Vertainen: Player and goal of the month award for St Johnstone loan striker". Daily Record. 6 January 2023.
  14. ^ "Linfield captain Jamie Mulgrew hails hat-trick hero Eetu Vertainen as Blues boost title hopes in style with victory over Ballymena United". Belfast Telegraph. 21 January 2023.
  15. ^ "Linfield must improve record against title rivals, admits Ross Oliver after striker Eetu Vertainen's second consecutive hat-trick helps Blues rout Portadown". Belfast Telegraph. 28 January 2023.
  16. ^ "Finnish striker Eetu Vertainen ponders permanent Linfield switch". Belfast Telegraph. 7 February 2023.
  17. ^ Nicolson, Eric (2 February 2023). "Eetu Vertainen: Welsh champions TNS battling Linfield to sign St Johnstone striker in summer". The Courier.
  18. ^ "Eetu Vertainen firma con la Triestina". US Triestina Calcio. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  19. ^ "MTV Urheilun tiedot: Suomalaistykki teki sopimuksen Italiaan". MTV Uutiset (in Finnish). 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  20. ^ a b Ikola, Ertu (11 September 2023). "Yllättävä käänne, Italiaan siirtynyt suomalaishyökkääjä joutui heti vaihtamaan maisemaa". MTV Uutiset (in Finnish). MTV Finland. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  21. ^ "Eetu Vertainen joins Athens Kallithea FC". Athens Kallithea FC. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.


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