Jussi Niska

Last updated
Jussi Niska
Personal information
Full name Jussi Erkki Niska [1]
Date of birth (2002-08-15) 15 August 2002 (age 22)
Place of birth Rovaniemi, Finland
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Left-back
Team information
Current team
 Inter Turku
Number 2
Youth career
FC Santa Claus
–2019 RoPS
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2019–2020 RoPS II 7 (0)
2020–2021 RoPS 36 (0)
2022– Inter Turku 78 (4)
International career‡
2018 Finland U16 2 (0)
2018 Finland U17 4 (0)
2023–2025 Finland U21 8 (0)
Medal record
RoPS
Silver medal icon.svg Ykkönen 2021
Inter Turku
Silver medal icon.svg Finnish League Cup 2022
Silver medal icon.svg Finnish Cup 2022
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23 June 2025
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 September 2024

Jussi Erkki Niska (born 15 August 2002) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Veikkausliiga club Inter Turku and the Finland U21 national team. [2]

Contents

Club career

RoPS

Born in Rovaniemi, Niska played for the youth teams of FC Lynx, who later became part of FC Santa Claus, [3] and RoPS. He debuted in Veikkausliiga for the RoPS first team on 2 July 2020 at the age of 17, in a 3–1 away defeat against Inter Turku. [4]

After RoPS got relegated in 2020, Niska stayed with the club in Ykkönen in the 2021 season, [3] finishing 2nd in the division, but eventually falling short to AC Oulu in the promotion play-offs. [5] [6]

FC Inter Turku

Niska signed a three-year deal with Inter Turku in Veikkausliiga on 23 December 2021, [7] after RoPS faced some serious financial difficulties and were relegated to Kakkonen. On 6 July 2022, Niska scored the winning goal as Inter Turku defeated Drita 1–0 in the 1st leg of the 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League 1st round qualifying match. [8] [9] On 8 October 2024, his contract was extended for the 2025 with an option for 2026. [10]

International career

A regular Finnish youth international, Niska has represented Finland in various age brackets. [11]

Career statistics

As of 23 June 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueCup [a] League cup [b] EuropeTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
RoPS II2019 Kakkonen 60———60
2020 Kakkonen10———10
Total7000000070
RoPS 2020 Veikkausliiga 20050——250
2021 Ykkönen 16040——200
Total360900000450
Inter Turku 2022 Veikkausliiga21121602 [c] 1313
2023 Veikkausliiga2202060—300
2024 Veikkausliiga2406020—320
2025 Veikkausliiga1131070–193
Total784111210211126
Career total1214201210211646

Honours

RoPS

Inter Turku

References

  1. ↑ Urheilukouluun valittiin 79 kesälajien urheilijaa lokakuun 2022 saapumiserään, intti.fi, 17 May 2022
  2. ↑ "Tehoja saisi tulla enemmän" - Jussi Niska noussut isoon rooliin Interissä, Veikkausliiga, 14 May 2022
  3. 1 2 Saukko, Markku (24 March 2021). "RoPS on nuori ja yhtä rovaniemeläinen kuin 1980-luvulla - 18-vuotias johtohahmo Jussi Niska tähtää RoPSin kanssa takaisin Liigaan ja sitten Eurooppaan". Lapin Kansa (in Finnish). Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  4. ↑ Inter RoPS, Veikkausliiga
  5. ↑ REF soccerway
  6. ↑ AC Oulu säilytti sarjapaikkansa – RoPS-hyökkääjä ei sulattanut joukkuekaverin ulosajoa: "Se oli tuomarivirhe", Yle, Hinni Hirvonen, 7 November 2021
  7. ↑ JUSSI NISKA JA LUKA KUITTINEN PITKILLÄ SOPIMUKSILLA FC INTERIIN, Inter Turku
  8. ↑ Inter Turku (FIN) 1 - 0 Drita (KOS), UEFA
  9. ↑ Laine, Rauno (2022-07-06). "Jussi Niska ratkaisi Turun Interin voiton Europelien avauksessa". Lapin Kansa (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  10. ↑ Jussi Niska jatkaa Interin puolustuksessa, fcinter.fi, 8 October 2024
  11. ↑ "Interin Jussi Niska innolla Pikkuhuuhkajiin. "Valinnasta saa luottamusta omaan tekemiseen"". Veikkausliiga (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-10-01.
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