Football | Topi Keskinen’s tattoo became a cause for wonder in Scotland – “It’s become a bigger deal than I thought”

To the hooters with his first invitation Top in the middle21, had a confusingly eventful August. First came the transfer from HJK to Aberdeen of the Scottish Premier League, immediately the debut and debut goal in the new club, and then the places in the starting line-up in the Scottish league and a call-up to the national team.

The first goal immediately put Keskinen in the headlines in Scotland. The transfer was already big news in itself, when Aberdeen paid almost one million euros for Keski. It is the largest transfer amount in club history.

“I haven’t really gotten around to thinking about any of this. Maybe the invitation came a bit out of the blue. I haven’t usually thought about such things in advance,” Keskinen said on Tuesday at Kalastajatorpa, where the Huuhkajat stay before away games in the Nations League.

“I wish I could play and show. You just have to be yourself, and there’s no point in stressing too much. If there is a place, then you have to use it.”

Aberdeen was already interested in Keski in January, so the transfer to Scotland did not come as a complete surprise to him. However, things progressed quickly in August. The transfer was packaged in a week.

Kesken also had other options, but he considered Scotland to be the best of them. There was also interest from the North American MLS league.

“I really like the style of British football. I have no regrets at all. Of course, money is also a concern, but money is not the main thing at this age. The main thing is to get to play and develop as a player. Bigger money will be made later.”

Keskinen admitted that on the way to Aberdeen he started to get a little nervous.

“I was well received. It turned out for the best. There are really nice guys there, it was a nice surprise.”

In the Scottish media Keskinen’s tattoo, which depicts a fisherman, also became a source of wonder Wayne RooneyEngland’s former star player. The tattoo combines two of Keskinen’s favorites: fishing and Rooney.

“This is not such a wonderful tattoo. I designed it myself. It has become a bigger deal than I thought.”

Keskinen had time to attend two Aberdeen training sessions before his first game. In the League Cup match, he scored the winning goal, 1–0, against Queen’s Park. It was the best possible entry into the team.

“I laughed and joked with my teammates. They like to make a lot of jokes. I am surprised how easy it is for me to understand them. If I don’t focus on the speech, then I don’t understand.”

He considers his style of play to be well suited to Scotland.

“It’s a pretty fast-paced series, and it actually suits me a bit better than the Veikkausliiga. The game is not so static. When the ball is in play, that’s when we go hard. I have liked it a lot. It’s so different compared to Finnish football.”

“The tactics are quite simple. I haven’t had any problems adapting.”

“

“The club did not make the starting points for the season easy for the players. It was a bit confusing.”

Central moved from Mikkeli and MP to HJK in the winter of 2023. He managed to win the Finnish championship in HJK, play in the Conference League and score fourteen goals. He had a good feeling about the last unfinished HJK season.

“The beginning of the season was really good. Then we changed the system a bit, and I no longer played in my natural playing position. When the venue changed and the team played a little worse, it’s not easy. Still, I had a good feeling.”

HJK’s preparation for this season was different from his first season in Helsinki. According to Keskinen, the 2023 season was prepared with tougher training and there were more games in the program. This winter, HJK didn’t have that many practice games.

“I don’t know whose fault it was. It was a bit special. When the season started, you didn’t really know what was going to happen.”

“I understand that new coaches want to go over their own stuff in training. We could have gone even harder in practice, but I was physically in good shape when the season started.

In January HJK had to change the head coach and in May there was a new change.

“It was strange, after all. The club did not make the starting points for the season easy for the players. It was a bit confusing.”

He has been following HJK’s games from the sidelines for some time now and has watched the decisive European games when the Club qualified for the Conference League.

“At the moment, HJK’s situation looks good. I hope for the best. It was a bit of a special season.”