Teemu Pukki – A Celtic flop to Premier League star
Teemu Pukki, 29, spent his youth days with hometown club Kotkan Tyovaen Palloilijation (KTP) in Finland where he made his senior debut at the tender age of 16. His 3 goals and 6 assists in 29 senior appearances may not have been a great start but his potential was clear to see.
He earned a move to La Liga, joining Sevilla but unfortunately, he could play in just 1 game for the club’s senior team and was deployed with the Sevilla’s B team for the rest of his days in Spain. The striker then returned to Finland with HJK Helsinki, where he built his confidence by scoring 13 goals in 24 league games plus adding 3 in the Europa League.
After developing a taste for goals, his impressive performances earned him a move to Germany with Schalke in the Bundesliga. But the Finnish international failed to establish himself in the starting XI and moved to Celtic in the summer of 2013.
With the departure of Gary Hooper that season, there were high expectations from Pukki but a return of 9 goals in 38 games didn’t go down well and he was on the move once again. This time, Danish side Brondby signed him and offered him a chance to excel.
The Finn grabbed his opportunities at the right time and after four goal-laden seasons, he caught the attraction of several clubs. Norwich City signed him on a free transfer in the summer of 2018 and since then, his career has been on the upward move.
The former Sevilla man was instrumental in the Canaries’ promotion to the top flight at the end of his debut season at Carrow Road. He netted 29 goals in 43 games while further setting up 10 for his teammates and was also voted as the EFL Championship player of the season. But the difficult test came when his side began their season in the top flight.
After facing several ups and downs in his career, he has shown up at the right time and looks set to make the most of his time in English football.
Despite Norwich’s lacklustre performance, Pukki has been on the rise and has already scored 11 goals this term. He has also enjoyed a good time with the Finland national team, scoring 25 goals in 80 games and is one of the top strikers in the Premier League.
