Eetu Vertainen

Finnish footballer (born 1999)

Eetu Vertainen

Vertainen with HJK in 2018

Personal information
Date of birth|  (1999-05-11) 11 May 1999 (age 26)
Height|  1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s)|  Striker
Team information

Current team

|  Triestina
Number|  9
Youth career
|  KyIF
|  HJK
Senior career*
Years|  Team|  Apps|  (Gls)
2016–2020|  Klubi 04|  41|  (13)
2017–2020|  HJK|  57|  (8)
2021|  Ilves|  11|  (4)
2021–2023|  St Johnstone|  7|  (0)
2022|  → Linfield (loan)|  10|  (4)
2022–2023|  → Linfield (loan)|  30|  (17)
2023–|  Triestina|  49|  (9)
2023|  → Athens Kallithea (loan)|  3|  (0)
International career
|  Finland U19|  |
|  Finland U21|  4[2]|  (1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 27 April 2025

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

Vertainen is a former Finnish youth international.[5]

## Career statistics

[edit]

As of 27 April 2025[5]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition  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  | 36 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1[h] | 0 | – | 37 | 6
Total  | 49 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 9
Athens Kallithea (loan)  | 2023–24 | Super League Greece 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 3 | 0
Career total  | 208 | 55 | 21 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 250 | 63

1. ^ Includes Suomen Cup, Scottish Cup, Irish Cup and Greek Cup
2. ^ Includes UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League
3. ^ Includes UEFA Champions League
4. ^ Includes Scottish League Cup
5. ^ Includes five appearances and two goals in Irish League Cup, one appearance in Scottish Challenge Cup and one appearance in NIFL Charity Shield
6. ^ Includes UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League
7. ^ Includes Serie C Promotion Play-offs
8. ^ Includes Coppa Italia Serie C

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Profile" (in Finnish). Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
2. ^ "Tulospalvelu". tulospalvelu.palloliitto.fi.
3. ^ "KRISTALLINKIRKAS TAVOITE" (in Finnish). Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi. 24 April 2018. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
4. ^ "Eetu Vertaiselle jatkosopimus". Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi (in Finnish). 10 November 2020.
5. ^ a b c Eetu Vertainen at Soccerway. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
6. ^ "Eetu Vertainen Signs 2 Year Deal". St Johnstone Football Club. 1 September 2021.
7. ^ Gallagher, Matthew (1 September 2021). "Finnish striker Eetu Vertainen has "loads of potential", says Callum Davidson". Daily Record.
8. ^ "St Johnstone loan Eetu Vertainen to Linfield". FourFourTwo. 7 February 2022.
9. ^ "Four-goal Vertainen can still improve – Healy". BBC Sport. 19 March 2022.
10. ^ "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.
11. ^ "Eetu Vertainen moves to Linfield on loan". St Johnstone Football Club. 30 June 2022.
12. ^ Fullerton, Gareth (30 June 2022). "Linfield announce the return of striker Eetu Vertainen". BelfastLive.
13. ^ "Eetu Vertainen: Player and goal of the month award for St Johnstone loan striker". Daily Record. 6 January 2023.
14. ^ "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.
15. ^ "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.
16. ^ "Finnish striker Eetu Vertainen ponders permanent Linfield switch". Belfast Telegraph. 7 February 2023.
17. ^ Nicolson, Eric (2 February 2023). "Eetu Vertainen: Welsh champions TNS battling Linfield to sign St Johnstone striker in summer". The Courier.
18. ^ "Eetu Vertainen firma con la Triestina". US Triestina Calcio. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
19. ^ "MTV Urheilun tiedot: Suomalaistykki teki sopimuksen Italiaan". MTV Uutiset (in Finnish). 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
20. ^ 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.
21. ^ "Eetu Vertainen joins Athens Kallithea FC". Athens Kallithea FC. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
22. ^ "Trento vs. Triestina - 7 January 2024 - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.

* v
* t
* e

US Triestina Calcio 1918 – current squad

* 7 Ioniță
* 8 El Azrak
* 9 Vertainen
* 10 D'Urso
* 12 Borriello
* 14 Germano
* 15 Correia
* 16 Fiordilino
* 17 Jónsson
* 21 Tonetto
* 40 Mutavčić
* 42 Voca
* 46 Sambú
* 72 Pavlev
* 95 Gündüz
* 99 Olivieri
* Anzolin
* Attys
* Kačinari
* Kiyine
* Mannes
* Rodolfo Moisés
* Matošević
* Moretti
* Mutavčić
* Pedicillo
* Vicario
* Manager: Tesser

*[Apps]: League appearances
*[Gls]: League goals
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Correia]: Omar Correia
*[Jónsson]: Kristófer Jónsson
*[Tonetto]: Mattia Tonetto
*[Mutavčić]: Mladen Mutavčić
*[Gündüz]: Teoman Gündüz
*[Kačinari]: Aaron Kačinari
*[Pedicillo]: Leonardo Pedicillo