Akseli Puukko
| 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 | 19 | (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
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|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 April 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 March 2024 | |||||||||||
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]
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 27 April 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 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6[b] | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | ||
| Total | 19 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 27 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 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