Roni Hudd

Roni Hudd

Personal information
Date of birth	(2005-01-20) 20 January 2005 (age 19)
Place of birth	Vaasa, Finland
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team	VPS
Number	28
Youth career
0000–2022	VPS
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2020–2022	VPS II	26	(14)
2022–	VPS	46	(6)
International career‡
2019	Finland U15	2	(0)
2021–2022	Finland U17	6	(1)
2022–	Finland U18	9	(2)
2023–	Finland U19	3	(0)
2023–	Finland U21	2	(1)
Medal record VPS Veikkausliiga 2023 Finland U18 Baltic Cup 2023 [1]
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 28 July 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16 November 2023

Roni Hudd (born 20 January 2005) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Veikkausliiga club VPS and the Finland under-21 national team.

Club career

VPS

Hudd started playing football in his hometown club Vaasan Palloseura (VPS) youth sector in Vaasa. He was promoted to train with the first team at the age of 15 in 2020, when VPS played in Ykkönen, the second tier in Finland. In 2020, Hudd also made his senior debut with VPS reserve team in the fourth-tier league Kolmonen. After the season, Hudd signed a professional contract with the club.

Hudd scored his first goal in his debut in the premier division Veikkausliiga on 18 June 2022, in a 5–1 away victory against HIFK. ^[2]

On 25 April 2023, Hudd extended his contract with VPS until the end of 2024. ^{[3] [4] [5]} In the end of the 2023 season, Hudd won the bronze medal with VPS, as the club finished in 3rd place in the league.

International career

Hudd is a regular in the youth national teams of Finland. ^{[6] [7]}

In September 2021, Hudd was named in the Finland U17 squad for the 2022 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualification tournament, against Bosnia-Herzegovina, Switzerland and Gibraltar, scoring one goal and providing an assist in three games. Finland finished 2nd in the group and advanced to the Elite round. ^[8]

Hudd was part of the Finland U18 squad winning the friendly tournament Baltic Cup in June 2023, ^[9] scoring one goal in three games.

On 24 August 2023, Hudd got his first call-up to Finland under-21 national team, for a friendly match against Iceland. ^{[10] [11]} On 7 September 2023, he debuted in that game as a substitute, and scored a goal, as Finland were defeated 2–3 by Iceland. ^{[12] [13]}

In October 2023, Hudd was the captain of the Finland U19 squad in the 2024 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification tournament, and played in all three games, against Romania, Czech Republic and San Marino. ^{[14] [15]}

Personal life

Hudd comes from a sporting family: his older sister Emma plays pesäpallo, Finnish baseball, for Lapuan Virkiä. His father Nicklas is an ice hockey coach in Norway, and his mother played volleyball at youth national team level. ^{[16] [17] [18] [19]}

In January 2023, Hudd's profile in Transfermarkt was momentarily among the most popular profiles in the website. ^[20]

Career statistics

As of 28 July 2024.

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Cup [lower-alpha 1]		League cup [lower-alpha 2]		Europe		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
VPS Akatemia	2020	Kolmonen	6	1	—		—		—		6	1
	2021	Kolmonen	3	0	—		—		—		3	0
	2022	Kolmonen	12	8	—		—		—		12	8
	2023	Kolmonen	0	0	—		—		—		0	0
	2024	Kolmonen	5	5	—		—		—		5	5
	Total		26	14	0	0	0	0	0	0	26	14
VPS	2022	Veikkausliiga	18	2	1	0	1	0	—		20	2
	2023	Veikkausliiga	24	4	3	0	3	0	—		30	4
	2024	Veikkausliiga	4	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	7	0
	Total		46	6	4	0	7	0	0	0	57	6
Career total			72	20	4	0	7	0	0	0	83	20

1. Includes Suomen Cup
2. Includes Finnish League Cup

Honours

Vaasan Palloseura

• Ykkönen: 2021
• Veikkausliiga: 2023 3rd place

References

1. Baltic Cup, Finnish FA
2. Vehviläinen, Mikko (6 August 2023). "Keskellä yötä debytoinut Roni Hudd, 18, pelaa nyt läpimurtokautta – "Jalkani on ollut aika hyvä"" (in Finnish). Iltalehti . Retrieved 24 August 2023.
3. "Roni Hudd jatkaa kasvattajaseurassaan Vepsussa!" (in Finnish). VPS. 25 April 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
4. Oma kasvatti jatkoi sopimustaan - Roni Hudd VPS:ssa ainakin kauden 2024 loppuun asti, Veikkausliiga, 25 April 2023
5. Roni Hudd päätti VPS:n piinan, Kymen Sanomat, 5 May 2023
6. "Roni Hudd: "Suomi-paidassa on aina siistiä tehdä maali"". Palloliitto (Finnish FA). Retrieved 24 August 2023.
7. VPS:n Roni Hudd: ”Olen tottunut liigavauhtiin paremmin”, Veikkausliiga, 15 June 2023
8. Roni Hudd U17-maajoukkueen mukana EM-karsintaturnaukseen, vpsjuniorit.fi, 21 September 2021
9. U18-pojat nimetty kesäkuun Baltic Cupiin, Football Association of Finland, 30 May 2023
10. Pikkuhuuhkajat nimetty Islanti- ja Sveitsi-otteluihin, Veikkausliiga, 24 August 2023
11. VPS:n Roni Hudd valittiin nuorten maajoukkueeseen – "Hän pelaa vahvaa läpimurtokautta", Ilkka-Pohjalainen, 24 August 2023
12. Suomi - Islanti, Palloliitto (Finnish FA)
13. Roni Hudd: "Voin luvata, että saadaan hieno ja viihdyttävä ottelu", Finnish FA/Palloliitto, 6 September 2023
14. U19-pojat nimetty lokakuun EM-karsintaturnaukseen, Finnish FA/ Palloliitto, 25 September 2023
15. Roni Hudd on valittu U19-UEFA karsintaturnaukseen!, VPS, 27 September 2023
16. Kankaanpää, Timo (14 May 2023). "Kaveri taputti Roni Huddia, 18, olalle kesken tunnin - jättisivustolta paljastui hullu näky: "En tiedä miten nimeni löytyi sieltä"" (in Finnish). Ilta-Sanomat. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
17. Vehviläinen, Mikko (6 August 2023). "Keskellä yötä debytoinut Roni Hudd, 18, pelaa nyt läpimurtokautta – "Jalkani on ollut aika hyvä"" (in Finnish). Iltalehti . Retrieved 24 August 2023.
18. Vaasalaisperheestä urheilulahjakkuudet kahteen eri lajiin – nuoret Huddit kertovat, millaista kaupungissa on ollut harrastaa, Ilkka-Pohjalainen, 7 July 2021
19. Nicklas Hudd, eliteprospects
20. Suomalainen Roni, 17, nousi Transfermarktin katsotuimpien joukkoon jopa Ronaldon ohi – agentti paljastaa neuvottelut jättisiirrosta, MTV Oy, Ville-Veikko Valta, 11 January 2023

External links

• Roni Hudd at Soccerway
• Roni Hudd at WorldFootball.net
• Roni Hudd, stats at Finnish FA