Joonas Kekarainen
| Personal information | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 3 May 2005 | ||||||||||
| Place of birth | Finland | ||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||
Current team | Inter Turku | ||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||
| 2012–2022 | KäPa | ||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||
| 2022–2023 | KäPa | 51 | (8) | ||||||||
| 2024– | Inter Turku II | 7 | (3) | ||||||||
| 2024– | Inter Turku | 20 | (3) | ||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Finland U17 | 9 | (1) | ||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Finland U18 | 11 | (0) | ||||||||
| 2023– | Finland U19 | 3 | (0) | ||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23 October 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 30 October 2023 | |||||||||||
Joonas Kekarainen (born 3 May 2005) is a Finnish professional football midfielder for Veikkausliiga side Inter Turku and the Finland U19 national team.[2]
Club career
[edit]Käpylän Pallo
[edit]Kekarainen is a product of the renowned Käpylän Pallo youth academy.
He made his senior debut with the club in the third-tier Kakkonen in 2022. In the end of the season, KäPa gained a promotion to the second-tier Ykkönen, and Kekarainen stayed with the team.[3][4] After the 2023 Ykkönen season, KäPa announced that Kekarainen would depart the club,[5] after having represented KäPa for over 10 years.
Inter Turku
[edit]On 1 November 2023, FC Inter Turku in Veikkausliiga announced that they had signed with Kekarainen on a two-year deal, with an option for an additional year.[6][7] He debuted with his new club on 27 January 2024, in a Finnish League Cup win against FC Lahti.[8] Kekarainen scored his first league goal on 27 May 2024, in a 3–1 away loss against Vaasan Palloseura (VPS).
International career
[edit]A regular Finnish youth international, Kekarainen has represented Finland at under-17, under-18 and under-19 youth national team levels.[9]
Kekarainen was part of the Finland U18 squad winning the friendly tournament Baltic Cup in June 2023.[10]
In October 2023, Kekarainen was part of the Finland U19 squad in the 2024 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification tournament, in three games against Romania, Czech Republic and San Marino.[11]
Career statistics
[edit]- As of 23 October 2024
| Club | Season | League | Cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| KäPa | 2022 | Kakkonen | 25 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 6 | ||
| 2023 | Ykkönen | 26 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | 32 | 6 | ||
| Total | 51 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 12 | ||
| Inter Turku II | 2024 | Kakkonen | 7 | 3 | — | — | — | 7 | 3 | |||
| Inter Turku | 2024 | Veikkausliiga | 20 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | 31 | 4 | |
| Career total | 78 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 95 | 19 | ||
- ^ Includes Suomen Cup
- ^ Includes Ykkönen Cup and Finnish League Cup
Honours
[edit]KäPa
- Kakkonen, Promotion Group A: 2022
Inter Turku
- Finnish Cup runner-up: 2024
- Finnish League Cup: 2024[12]
References
[edit]- ^ Finnish FA
- ^ Tulospalvelu Palloliitto, Finnish FA
- ^ Joonas Kekarainen jatkaa joukkueessa, KäPa, 8 December 2022
- ^ J. Kekarainen, player profile
- ^ KäPa-kasvatit Aaro Soiniemi ja Joonas Kekarainen jatkavat uraansa Veikkausliigassa, KäPa, 1.11.2023
- ^ 18-VUOTIAS JOONAS KEKARAINEN SIIRTYY INTERIIN, Inter Turku, 1 November 2023
- ^ Nuorten maajoukkuepelaaja Joonas Kekarainen vahvistaa Interiä – "Hän on työteliäs ja monikäyttöinen", Turun Sanomat, Joonas Jussila, 1 November 2023
- ^ VUODEN ENSIMMÄISET PISTEET KOTIIN LIIGACUPIN AVAUSOTTELUSTA, fcinter.fi, 27 January 2024
- ^ Joonas Kekarainen toivoo U18-pojilta ehjää 90-minuuttista, Finnish FA, 25 March 2023
- ^ U18-pojat nimetty kesäkuun Baltic Cupiin, Football Association of Finland, 30 May 2023
- ^ U19-pojat nimetty lokakuun EM-karsintaturnaukseen, Finnish FA/ Palloliitto, 25 September 2023
- ^ Liigacupin voitto ratkesi rangaistuspotkukisassa: 17-vuotiaasta maalivahdista sankari, mtvuutiset.fi, MTV Oy, 30 March 2024
External links
[edit]- Joonas Kekarainen at Soccerway
- Joonas Kekarainen at WorldFootball.net