In this episode, Keke logs in for a one-on-one chat with Ilmari Niskanen a Finland international player who has been a regular in Markku Kanerva’s squads since 2020 and a Veikkausliiga champion back in 2019, with KuPS Kuopio.

“Immi” talks Keke through his career that started at PK-37 before flourishing at KuPS Kuopio. A challenging move to Germany conicided with his call-up to the Finland national team. Then a spell at Dundee United in Scotland, which started well but ended in relegation, bofre Immi moved to Exeter City in the EFL League 1.

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Join Mark (@explorefinland),  Mark (@FCSuomi),  Keke (@kekemyllari), Rich (@EscapeToSuomi) and Ally (@Mano99) for regular episodes, where 5 old blokes sit and talk about football in Finland. In English.

The #FFS theme tune is “Loppuun asti” by Lemmenpyssyt. You can listen to the song on Spotify or on YouTube . Connect with Lemmenpyssyt on Facebook.

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SHOW NOTES & LINKS

Keke’s Questions (Listen or watch the show to hear Immi’s answers)

Ilmari’s reflections on Exeter City’s 2023-24 season

• You’ve just completed the League 1 season with Exeter City finishing mid table, there are some very big clubs in your division, I think I counted around 7 former Premier League sides so when you look at it like that were you and your team mates down in Devon happy with your final league position?
• There was that tricky mid season run of 13 games without a win, I listened to an interview with Viljami Sinisalo recently and he said despite the adversity you guys managed to stay positive as a squad, did you personally feel the same and believe that collectively you would turn things around?
• Obviously when Viljami saved that injury time penalty against Wycombe to give you guys the first win after a long run the feeling must have been amazing. You had come on off the bench quite early on in the Wycombe game, how was it seeing your international team mate make that save so late in the game?

Growing up in Finland and playing for KuPS in the Veikkausliiga

• If we can wind it back now right back to the beginning, you were born in Kiuruvesi in the late 90’s and you played youth football at Pallo-Kerho 37 in Ilsalmi. How did you first fall in love with the game and at what age did you start to consider a career as a professional footballer?
• You signed for KuPS aged 16 and went out on loan to a couple of Kakkonen clubs before really making your mark on the Veikkuasliiga in the 2015 season when you made 20 appearances scoring 1 goal. What do you remember from those early days in Kuopio, signing for the team and breaking through to the first team?
• Jani Honkavaara came into KuPS as manger in what I think was your second season as a first team regular and the team really started to shake things up in the upper reaches of the Veikkausliiga. Personally, you were picking up more minutes and providing assists. How did you like working under Jani and could you feel that things were starting to happen for you and the team in Kuopio?
• The work that Honkavaara did at KuPS culminated in you lifting the Veikkausliiga championship in 2019. You made 26 league appearances scoring 5 goals in that winning season. How was it to lift the biggest prize in Finnish football and had thoughts of a career abroad started to creep into your mind around this time?

Moving to FC Inglostadt in Germany

• A move abroad did come when you signed for German club FC Inglostadt in the autumn of 2020 for around 350,000E. This was around the time that you also made your Huuhkajat debut and so lots of people were taking notice and looking forward to seeing how moving to Germany would suit you. How do you look back on the move and your time in Inglostadt?

Immi’s international career starts…

• It must have been a time of mixed emotions for you as your full international career was kicking off at this time, as I said you made your debut coming on, I think as a late sub against Wales in Helsinki and you didn’t have to wait too long for your first international goal, scoring away in Poland in a 5-1 friendly defeat. It must have been a great honour to make your debut and a great feeling to score for your country despite the result. Can you describe those emotions to us?

Playing for Dundee Utd in the Dundee derby

• Your time ended in Germany and you signed for Scottish club Dundee United. Once your work permit issues were sorted your career with the Tangerines started off with a bang, you provided the assist for the goal in a memorable 1-1 draw away at Celtic and the following week you scored your debut goal in a 1-0 win over Ross County. How did you feel about the standard of football in the Scottish premiership and how was it settling in to life at Dundee United?
• You featured on both the right and left wings in that debut season and your side finished a very respectable 4th in the league qualifying for the Europa Conference League qualifying rounds. It seemed that Dundee United were a club on the rise, Saku Eriksson joined you in Scotland after his almost record-breaking season in Sweden and as Finland fans we were excited to see how you both would do. You must have had some conversations with Saku prior to him joining the tangerines, was it good to have a fellow Finn coming to sign for your club?
• Things in your second season in Scotland didn’t turn out as anyone would have hoped. The European campaign started well with a 1-0 win over AZ Alkmar but the second leg didn’t go according to plan and the premiership form was quite poor from the start of the season, Saku was in goal for the devastating 9-0 loss to Celtic and that seemed to put pay to his Dundee United career and you yourself were mostly on the bench through a really tough campaign. Was it difficult for you to watch from the bench and did you feel that you could have contributed more in those early and mid way parts of the season?
• You featured a lot more towards the end of the season and when you scored away to Motherwell everyone could see the emotion on your face, was that months of frustration all coming out in that split second?
• Ultimately United were relegated and your time in Scotland came to end, anyone watching could see how much that club meant to you and every time you pulled on the tangerine shirt you gave 110%. What are your emotions reflecting on that season and the fact that it meant that you had to leave the club?

A move to Exeter City in EFL League 1

• On 15 August 2023, you signed for League One club Exeter City and you were again paired with a Finnish goalkeeper as Viljami Sinisalo joined on loan from Aston Villa. Firstly it must have been nice to sign for a new club down in England and again to have a fellow Finn in your squad, did you and Vil speak Finnish together in Exeter and how did the rest of your team mates react to that?
• I mentioned at the start that Exeter had a tricky run just after the start of the season, coincidentally while you were not in the squad, but you guys pulled it round and you yourself featured in 33 league games starting 27 times and providing 4 assists.
• How do you reflect on your debut season in Devon, and have you taken Exeter City into your heart as you so obviously did with Dundee United?
• Your good form was rewarded with a new contract that will see you stay in Devon until 2026. What are your hopes for the coming season, and will you miss Vil in the dressing room?

Becoming a regular Huuhkaja in the Finland national team

• If we can go back to talk about Huuhkajat quickly just before we let you go, you have played international football at every youth level, did you always know that you would be a full Finland international one day? 
• You have featured in many of Rive’s squads since making your debut and then there have been times when you have missed out on a call-up. we have discussed the fact that Rive does this with many players, they can be in one squad and out of the next, is this frustrating for you or is it comforting knowing that if you do miss out that there is every chance of making the next squad if your club form is good enough?
• You have been in all of the most recent squads, playing in the Euro play off away to Wales and the recent friendlies against Estonia, Portugal and Scotland. You had a really decent game against Scotland and were able to use your attacking instincts a little more. For us as fans we have discussed the way Rive uses wing backs or converted wingers as full backs sometimes, are you happy in whatever position you play for Finland or is there a position that you really prefer? 
• There has been some speculation over the future of Rive but we now know that he will continue for the next few years, what are your hopes and dreams for Huuhkajat over this next period and how do you feel about Jani Honkavaara joining the coaching staff? 
• We have some tough Nations Leagues games coming up in the autumn Immi and I am sure that you will be looking forward to playing against England now that you are based here. May we wish you the best of luck with Exeter City this season, I will definitely try to get to a League One game to see you and we hope to see you in the white and blue in the autumn. 

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Find Ilmari Niskanen online

• Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/IlmariNiskanen
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ilmariniskanen/
• Transfermarkt: https://www.transfermarkt.com/ilmari-niskanen/profil/spieler/268606

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