Eetu Vertainen (born 11 May 1999) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Italian Serie C Group A club Triestina.
Career
Vertainen began his youth career with KyIF, before joining the academy of HJK at the age of 11.[3][4] He started his senior career with Klubi 04, before playing for HJK and Ilves in the Veikkausliiga.[5]
Vertainen signed a two-year contract with Scottish club St Johnstone on 1 September 2021.[6][7]
He moved on loan to NIFL Premiership club Linfield on 7 February 2022.[8] On 19 March, he scored four goals in a 5–0 league win over Dungannon Swifts.[9][10]
On 30 June, his loan deal with the Northern Irish team was extended.[11][12] Following his performances, he was named the league's Player of the Month and won the Goal of the Month award for December 2022.[13] In January 2023, he scored hat-tricks in successive league matches.[14][15] Later in the same season, he was the subject of speculation about a permanent transfer to Linfield,[16] as well as links to Welsh club The New Saints.[17]
On 1 September 2023, Vertainen joined Serie C club Triestina on a permanent deal.[18][19] Since Triestina were unable to register him on time,[20] on 11 September he was loaned to Super League Greece 2 club Athens Kallithea until the end of the year, with an option to extend the deal for the rest of the 2023–24 season.[20][21] In January 2024, Vertainen returned to Triestina, and made his Serie C debut on 7 January 2024, as a starter in a match against Trento.[22]
International career
Vertainen is a former Finnish youth international.[5]
Career statistics
- As of 2 February 2025[5]
| Club | Season | League | Cup[a] | Other | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Klubi 04 | 2016 | Kakkonen | 13 | 0 | – | – | – | 13 | 0 | |||
| 2017 | Kakkonen | 21 | 11 | 3 | 1 | – | – | 24 | 12 | |||
| 2018 | Ykkönen | 6 | 2 | – | – | – | 6 | 2 | ||||
| 2020 | Kakkonen | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 41 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 14 | ||
| HJK | 2017 | Veikkausliiga | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2018 | Veikkausliiga | 19 | 4 | 5 | 3 | – | 3[b] | 0 | 27 | 7 | ||
| 2019 | Veikkausliiga | 25 | 2 | 3 | 1 | – | 2[c] | 0 | 30 | 3 | ||
| 2020 | Veikkausliiga | 12 | 2 | 5 | 1 | – | – | 17 | 3 | |||
| Total | 57 | 8 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 76 | 13 | ||
| Ilves | 2021 | Veikkausliiga | 11 | 4 | 3 | 0 | – | – | 14 | 4 | ||
| St Johnstone | 2021–22 | Scottish Premiership | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | – | 8 | 0 | |
| Linfield (loan) | 2021–22 | NIFL Premiership | 10 | 4 | – | – | – | 10 | 4 | |||
| 2022–23 | NIFL Premiership | 30 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 7[e] | 2 | 5[f] | 0 | 43 | 19 | |
| Total | 40 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 53 | 23 | ||
| Triestina | 2023–24 | Serie C | 13 | 3 | – | 2[g] | 0 | – | 15 | 3 | ||
| 2024–25 | Serie C | 22 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1[h] | 0 | – | 23 | 5 | ||
| Total | 35 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 8 | ||
| Athens Kallithea (loan) | 2023–24 | Super League Greece 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 3 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 194 | 54 | 21 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 236 | 62 | ||
- ^ Includes Suomen Cup, Scottish Cup, Irish Cup and Greek Cup
- ^ Includes UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League
- ^ Includes UEFA Champions League
- ^ Includes Scottish League Cup
- ^ Includes five appearances and two goals in Irish League Cup, one appearance in Scottish Challenge Cup and one appearance in NIFL Charity Shield
- ^ Includes UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League
- ^ Includes Serie C Promotion Play-offs
- ^ Includes Coppa Italia Serie C
References
- ^ "Profile" (in Finnish). Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ "Tulospalvelu". tulospalvelu.palloliitto.fi.
- ^ "KRISTALLINKIRKAS TAVOITE" (in Finnish). Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi. 24 April 2018. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ "Eetu Vertaiselle jatkosopimus". Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi (in Finnish). 10 November 2020.
- ^ a b c Eetu Vertainen at Soccerway. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
- ^ "Eetu Vertainen Signs 2 Year Deal". St Johnstone Football Club. 1 September 2021.
- ^ Gallagher, Matthew (1 September 2021). "Finnish striker Eetu Vertainen has "loads of potential", says Callum Davidson". Daily Record.
- ^ "St Johnstone loan Eetu Vertainen to Linfield". FourFourTwo. 7 February 2022.
- ^ "Four-goal Vertainen can still improve – Healy". BBC Sport. 19 March 2022.
- ^ "Irish League Round-Up: Eetu Vertainen to the four as Linfield stay top with Cliftonville keeping in touch after win at Glenavon". Belfast Telegraph. 19 March 2022.
- ^ "Eetu Vertainen moves to Linfield on loan". St Johnstone Football Club. 30 June 2022.
- ^ Fullerton, Gareth (30 June 2022). "Linfield announce the return of striker Eetu Vertainen". BelfastLive.
- ^ "Eetu Vertainen: Player and goal of the month award for St Johnstone loan striker". Daily Record. 6 January 2023.
- ^ "Linfield captain Jamie Mulgrew hails hat-trick hero Eetu Vertainen as Blues boost title hopes in style with victory over Ballymena United". Belfast Telegraph. 21 January 2023.
- ^ "Linfield must improve record against title rivals, admits Ross Oliver after striker Eetu Vertainen's second consecutive hat-trick helps Blues rout Portadown". Belfast Telegraph. 28 January 2023.
- ^ "Finnish striker Eetu Vertainen ponders permanent Linfield switch". Belfast Telegraph. 7 February 2023.
- ^ Nicolson, Eric (2 February 2023). "Eetu Vertainen: Welsh champions TNS battling Linfield to sign St Johnstone striker in summer". The Courier.
- ^ "Eetu Vertainen firma con la Triestina". US Triestina Calcio. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
- ^ "MTV Urheilun tiedot: Suomalaistykki teki sopimuksen Italiaan". MTV Uutiset (in Finnish). 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
- ^ a b Ikola, Ertu (11 September 2023). "Yllättävä käänne, Italiaan siirtynyt suomalaishyökkääjä joutui heti vaihtamaan maisemaa". MTV Uutiset (in Finnish). MTV Finland. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
- ^ "Eetu Vertainen joins Athens Kallithea FC". Athens Kallithea FC. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- ^ "Trento vs. Triestina - 7 January 2024 - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.