Ilmari Niskanen

Last updated
Ilmari Niskanen
Personal information
Date of birth (1997-10-27) 27 October 1997 (age 27)
Place of birth Kiuruvesi, Finland
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) [1]
Position(s) Left winger [2]
Team information
Current team
Exeter City
Number 14
Youth career
–2013 PK-37
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2013–2020 KuPS 154 (18)
2013PK-37 (loan) 22 (9)
2014KuFu-98 7 (0)
2014PK-37 (loan) 1 (0)
2017KuFu-98 1 (1)
2020–2021 FC Ingolstadt 20 (0)
2021–2023 Dundee United 53 (2)
2023– Exeter City 48 (1)
International career
Finland U17
2015 Finland U19 [1] 3 (0)
2017–2018 Finland U21 6 (0)
2020– Finland 23 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:25, 30 November 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 November 2024

Ilmari Niskanen (born 27 October 1997) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a left winger for EFL League One club Exeter City and the Finland national team. [3]

Contents

Club career

Born in Kiuruvesi, [1] Niskanen spent his youth years with PK-37 in Iisalmi, before starting his professional career in 2013 in a nearby town Kuopio with Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS). [4] In the 2019 Veikkausliiga season, Niskanen helped the club to win its first Finnish championship title in 43 years. [5] He was also named the Veikkausliiga Player of the Month in August 2019 [6] and in July 2020. [2]

In September 2020, Niskanen signed for German club FC Ingolstadt for a transfer fee of €350,000. [7] [8]

In August 2021, Niskanen had a transfer to Scottish Premiership club Dundee United, which was initially delayed due to work permit issues, [9] before eventually completing on 20 August 2021. [10] The transfer fee was reported to be €350,000. [11]

On 15 August 2023, Niskanen signed for League One club Exeter City for an undisclosed fee. [12] On 29 April 2024, Niskanen was named the Exeter City Community Champion in the club's end of season awards. [13] On 15 May 2024, his deal was extended until June 2026. [14] He was named the Exeter City Player of the Month in October 2024. [15]

International career

Niskanen represented Finland at under-17, under-19 and under-21 youth levels, [16] before making his senior international debut in 2020. [17]

On 10 September 2024, in a 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B away match against England, Niskanen was humiliated by the national team head coach Markku Kanerva, by substituting him in for the second half to a wrong position for his expertise. Later Finland conceded goals directly due to Niskanen's errors and eventually lost the game 2–0. [18] [19] [20]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 30 November 2024 [16]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational CupLeague CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
KuPS 2013 Veikkausliiga 10000010
2014 Veikkausliiga41000041
2015 Veikkausliiga2011000211
2016 Veikkausliiga25010260
2017 Veikkausliiga32162383
2018 Veikkausliiga334642 [a] 0418
2019 Veikkausliiga265514 [a] 0356
2020 Veikkausliiga136512 [b] 0207
Total15418248008018626
PK-37 (loan) 2013 Kakkonen 22900229
KuFu-98 (loan) 2014 Kakkonen700070
PK-37 (loan) 2014 Kakkonen100010
KuFu-98 (loan) 2017 Kakkonen100010
FC Ingolstadt 2020–21 3. Liga 20000200
2021–22 2. Bundesliga 001010
Total200100000210
Dundee United 2021–22 [21] Scottish Premiership 3313000361
2022–23 [22] Scottish Premiership20120002 [c] 0241
2023–24 [23] Scottish Championship 00001010
Total532501020612
Exeter City 2023–24 [23] League One 33000101 [d] 0350
2024–25 [24] League One151201000181
Total481202010531
Career total306303283011035238
  1. 1 2 Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  2. One appearance in the UEFA Champions League and one appearance in UEFA Europa League
  3. Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
  4. Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy

International

As of match played 17 November 2024
Appearances and goals by national team and year [17]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Finland 202061
202110
202260
202330
202470
Total231
Finland score listed first, score column indicates score after each Niskanen goal [17]
List of international goals scored by Ilmari Niskanen
No.DateVenueCapOpponentScoreResultCompetitionRef.
17 October 2020 Stadion Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland2Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 1–31–5 Friendly [25]

Honours

KuPS

Individual

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Ilmari Niskanen". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "KuPS:n Ilmari Niskanen kuukauden pelaajaksi". www.veikkausliiga.com (in Finnish).
  3. Tilastot | Niskanen, Ilmari at Veikkausliiga. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  4. Tulospalvelu Palloliitto, Finnish FA
  5. Tässä on Veikkausliigan kauden 2019 mestarijoukkue! IS esittelee kulta-KuPSin pelaaja pelaajalta, Ilta-Sanomat, 19 October 2019
  6. 1 2 Ilmari Niskanen Veikkausliigan kuukauden pelaaja, JPY, 11 September 2019
  7. "Ilmari Niskanen kommt auf die Schanz". fcingolstadt.de (in German).
  8. ”On aina valtava kunnia päästä edustamaan Suomea”: Ilmari Niskanen uskoo pääsevänsä takaisin Huuhkajien vahvuuteen piakkoin, suomifutis.com, Joakim Nordström, 23 September 2021
  9. Woodger, Calum. "EXCLUSIVE: Work permit holding up Ilmari Niskanen transfer as Dundee United agree deal for Finnish winger".
  10. "Dundee Utd land Levitt & Niskanen" via www.bbc.co.uk.
  11. ”On aina valtava kunnia päästä edustamaan Suomea”: Ilmari Niskanen uskoo pääsevänsä takaisin Huuhkajien vahvuuteen piakkoin, suomifutis.com, Joakim Nordström, 23 September 2021
  12. "Exeter sign Niskanen from Dundee United". BBC Sport. 15 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  13. 1 2 23/24 Awards: The Winners, exetercityfc.co.uk, 29 April 2024
  14. Ilmari Niskanen pens contract extension, exetercityfc.co.uk, 15 May 2024
  15. 1 2 Ilmari Niskanen Named Your RGB Recruitment Player Of The Month!, exetercityfc.co.uk, 4 November 2024
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 Ilmari Niskanen at Soccerway. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  17. 1 2 3 "Ilmari Niskanen". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  18. Huuhkajatuomio: Suomen floppipelaajaa nöyryytettiin Lontoon illassa, Ilta-Sanomat, 11 September 2024
  19. Englanti rankaisi Huuhkajia vaihtopelaajan virheistä – asiantuntija tyrmäsi Markku Kanervan perustelut, Yle, 11 September 2024
  20. [https://www.suomifutis.com/2024/09/immulla-oli-vahan-vaikeuksia-markku-kanerva-perusteli-ilmari-niskasen-vaihtoa-ylelle/ ”Immulla oli vähän vaikeuksia” – Markku Kanerva perusteli Ilmari Niskasen vaihtoa Ylelle ], suomifutis.com, 11 September 2024
  21. "Games played by Ilmari Niskanen in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  22. "Games played by Ilmari Niskanen in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  23. 1 2 "Games played by Ilmari Niskanen in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  24. "Games played by Ilmari Niskanen in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  25. "Poland 5-1 Finland (7 Oct, 2020) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved 2023-08-15.