Akseli Puukko (born 24 August 2006) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Veikkausliiga club Lahti and the Finland U19 national team.[1]
| Personal information | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 24 August 2006 | ||||||||||
| Place of birth | Lahti, Finland | ||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||
| Position(s) | Full-back | ||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||
Current team | Lahti | ||||||||||
| Number | 29 | ||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||
| Reipas Lahti | |||||||||||
| –2022 | Lahti | ||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||
| 2022– | Reipas Lahti | 8 | (0) | ||||||||
| 2022– | Lahti | 22 | (0) | ||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Finland U16 | 5 | (0) | ||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Finland U17 | 15 | (0) | ||||||||
| 2023– | Finland U18 | 5 | (0) | ||||||||
| 2023– | Finland U19 | 5 | (1) | ||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 May 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 March 2024 | |||||||||||
Club career edit
FC Lahti edit
After playing in the youth sector of his hometown club FC Lahti organisation, Puukko signed his first professional contract with the club on 30 September 2022, on a three-year deal.[2] Puukko made his Veikkausliiga debut at the age of 16, on 16 October 2022 at home against HIFK, after being named in the starting line-up.[3] He played 77 minutes in a 6–1 victory.[4]
On 16 November 2023, FC Lahti announced that Puukko had extended his contract with the club, signing a deal until the end of the 2026 season.[5]
International career edit
Puukko is a regular Finnish youth international, having represented Finland at under-16, under-17, under-18 and under-19 youth national team levels.[6]
In September 2022, Puukko was named in the Finland U17 squad for the 2023 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualification tournament against Greece, Italy and Kosovo, playing in all three games. Finland finished 2nd in the group and qualified to the elite round in March 2023.[7]
Puukko was part of the Finland U18 squad winning the friendly tournament Baltic Cup in June 2023.[8]
In October 2023, Puukko was part of the Finland U19 squad in the 2024 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification tournament, scoring one goal in three games against Romania, Czech Republic and San Marino.
Career statistics edit
- As of 19 May 2024[9]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Other | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Reipas Lahti | 2022 | Kakkonen | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2023 | Kakkonen | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | ||
| FC Lahti | 2022 | Veikkausliiga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| 2023 | Veikkausliiga | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4[b] | 0 | — | 22 | 0 | ||
| 2024 | Veikkausliiga | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6[b] | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | ||
| Total | 22 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 30 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 0 | ||
- ^ Includes Finnish Cup
- ^ a b Includes Finnish League Cup
Honours edit
- Baltic Cup: 2023[10]
References edit
- ^ Hoikkala, Mikael (2023-09-16). "FC Lahti karisti ankeuden, ja rohkea peli tuottaa tulosta - "Tätä ilmettä yleisökin varmasti haluaa"". Etelä-Suomen Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ "Akseli Puukko ja FC Lahti sopimukseen". FC Lahti (in Finnish). 2022-09-30. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ Lyytikäinen, Eerikki (2022-10-16). ""Ei ollut minulle ihan perussunnuntaipäivä" - 16-vuotias Akseli Puukko debytoi Veikkausliigassa, kun FC Lahti lähetti HIFK:n murskalukemin divariin". Etelä-Suomen Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ "LAHTI VS. HIFK 6 - 1". soccerway. 2022-10-16. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ Akseli Puukolle jatkosopimus, fclahti.fi, 16 November 2023
- ^ "Lahtelaisduo jalkapallon alle 17-vuotiaiden maajoukkueleirille". Etelä-Suomen Sanomat (in Finnish). 2023-01-10. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ U17-pojat päättää EM-karsinnat tiistaina, Finnish FA/ Palloliitto, 10 October 2022
- ^ U18-pojat nimetty kesäkuun Baltic Cupiin, Football Association of Finland, 30 May 2023
- ^ Player profile, A.PUUKKO, int.soccerway.com
- ^ Finnish FA
External links edit
- Akseli Puukko at Soccerway
- Akseli Puukko at WorldFootball.net