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Juho Mäkelä

Finnish footballer (born 1983) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Juho Mäkelä (born 23 June 1983) is a Finnish former professional footballer who played as a forward. He is especially known for his pace.

Date of birth (1983-06-23) 23 June 1983 (age 43)
Place of birth Oulu, Finland
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position Forward
Quick facts Personal information, Date of birth ...
Juho Mäkelä
Personal information
Date of birth (1983-06-23) 23 June 1983 (age 43)
Place of birth Oulu, Finland
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position Forward
Youth career
OLS
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2002 Tervarit 61 (44)
2003–2005 HJK 66 (33)
2006–2009 Heart of Midlothian 20 (2)
2007 → Thun (loan) 14 (3)
2008 → HJK (loan) 13 (7)
2009–2010 HJK 50 (24)
2010–2012 Sydney FC 16 (3)
2012 HJK 27 (10)
2013 SV Sandhausen 13 (3)
2013–2014 St. Gallen 6 (0)
2014 IFK Mariehamn 4 (0)
2014 SJK 5 (0)
2015 VPS 31 (16)
2016–2018 HIFK 57 (14)
2018 PS Kemi 32 (7)
2019–2020 AC Oulu 39 (12)
2020 → OLS 1 (1)
International career
2004–2010 Finland 7 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals
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Club career

Early career

Mäkelä played in the youth sector of Oulun Luistinseura (OLS) in his home-town Oulu. He started his senior career with local rival club Tervarit, before moving to Veikkausliiga club HJK Helsinki for the 2003 season. He scored 33 goals in 66 appearances for the club in three seasons, and was the Veikkausliiga top scorer in 2005. He is known as 'The Surgeon'.[1]

Heart of Midlothian

Mäkelä signed for Heart of Midlothian on a three-and-a-half-year deal during the January 2006 transfer window, for a transfer fee of €735,000.[2] He scored his first goal for Hearts in 4–0 win over Dunfermline on 8 April 2006.[3] On 20 September 2006 he scored a hat-trick on his first start for Hearts in a Scottish League Cup tie against Second Division side Alloa in a 4–0 win.[4] He scored with his head, and both his feet, scoring a treble. His fifth and final Hearts goal came on 1 October 2006 against Dundee United.[5]

On 16 January 2007, it was reported that Mäkelä was training with German side Greuther Fürth pending a possible six-month loan move,[6] however it was subsequently announced that he would be spending the rest of the season with FC Thun. On 28 January 2008, Juho went on trial with Dutch side RKC Waalwijk who had been relegated at the end of the 2006–07 season. On 24 April 2008, Mäkelä returned to his former club HJK Helsinki on an initial three-month loan deal.

On 22 July 2008, it was confirmed by Hearts that Mäkelä had returned from his successful loan spell with HJK Helsinki, in which he scored seven goals in 13 games, and would immediately join his teammates for pre-season training in Germany.[7] Mäkelä's first game back was against a German regional select side in which he played the second half. He scored the sixth goal of the game with a powerful volley from eight yards in a 6–0 victory.[8] On 2 February 2009, transfer deadline day, Hearts announced Mäkelä had been released after 23 appearances and five goals in all competitions.[9]

Return to HJK Helsinki

Mäkelä returned to former club HJK Helsinki prior to the 2009 Veikkausliiga season. He marked his return to the club with a goal in the opening game of the season, coming off the bench in the 76th minute and scoring in the 80th minute to complete the scoring in a 5–1 win over KuPS. He also came off the bench in the second game of the season against TPS Turku, in which he set up the equalizing goal for Medo in a 2–2 draw. On 17 August 2008, he went on trial with Italian Serie B side Ascoli Calcio. He had a wonderful start for the 2010 season with HJK as he went on scoring ten goals in just eight games. After the season, he was again awarded as the league's top scorer with 16 goals.

Sydney FC

On 17 November 2010, it was announced that he would be trialling with A-League club Sydney FC.[10] Transfer was confirmed by HJK on 7 December 2010.[11] He joined Sydney FC for their A-league and ACL season. He will wear the number 18 shirt. He scored his first Sydney goal in his home debut after coming off the bench against Gold Coast United on 8 January 2011.[12] Mäkelä followed this goal up with an injury-time equaliser against arch-rivals Melbourne Victory the following week with a simple tap-in.[13] Unhappy at Sydney, due to lack of opportunity under manager Vitezslav Lavicka it was announced that club would not be renewing his contract at the end of the season, and was free to leave the club during the 2012 January transfer window if he could find another club in time.[14] Mäkelä departed the club in April 2012.

Second return to HJK

On 5 April 2012, it was announced that Mäkelä would make his second comeback for HJK, signing a 1+1 contract with his former club.[15] On 17 July, he scored a hat-trick, in a 7–0 home win over KR Reykjavik in the Champions League qualifiers.

Germany, Switzerland, and a return to Finland

After short spells in 2. Bundesliga with SV Sandhausen and Swiss Super League with FC St. Gallen, Mäkelä returned to Finland, signing for Åland club IFK Mariehamn on a short-term deal.[16]

PS Kemi

Mäkelä signed with PS Kemi in March 2018, and left the club again at the end of 2018.[17]

International career

Mäkelä made his debut for the Finnish national team on 3 February 2004 against China.

Career statistics

Club

More information Club, Season ...
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Other Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Tervarit 2000 Ykkönen ——
2001 Ykkönen ——
2002 Ykkönen ——
Total 6144——6144
HJK 2003 Veikkausliiga 231211004[b]22814
2004 Veikkausliiga 185000030215
2005 Veikkausliiga 25160000—2516
Total 66331100427136
Heart of Midlothian 2005–06 Scottish Premier League 2110——31
2006–07 Scottish Premier League 91002[c]300114
2007–08 Scottish Premier League 500000—50
2008–09 Scottish Premier League 400000—40
Total 202102300235
Thun (loan) 2006–07 Swiss Super League 143———143
HJK (loan) 2008 Veikkausliiga 137———137
HJK 2009 Veikkausliiga 268103[d]12[e]0329
2010 Veikkausliiga 241630005[f]03216
Total 50244031706425
Sydney FC 2010–11 A-League 82———82
2011–12 A-League 80———80
Total 162000000162
HJK 2012 Veikkausliiga 271020004[f]33313
SV Sandhausen 2012–13 2. Bundesliga 133———133
St. Gallen 2013–14 Swiss Super League 6000——60
FC St. Gallen U21 2013–14 Swiss Promotion League 42———42
IFK Mariehamn 2014 Veikkausliiga 40———40
SJK 2014 Veikkausliiga 50———50
VPS 2015 Veikkausliiga 3116111[d]01[e]03417
HIFK 2016 Veikkausliiga 2881030—328
2017 Veikkausliiga 31641——357
Total 59145130006715
PS Kemi 2018 Veikkausliiga 32700——327
AC Oulu 2019 Ykkönen 2611———2611
2020 Ykkönen 13250——182
Total 39135000004413
OLS 2020 Kakkonen 11———11
Career total 37118119394195418193
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International

More information National team, Year ...
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Finland 200420
200510
200630
200700
200810
200900
201010
Total80
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Honours

Individual

References

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