Leo Walta
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Leo Walta | ||
| Date of birth | 24 June 2003 | ||
| Place of birth | Vantaa, Finland | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Sirius | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Pakkalan Palloseura | |||
| –2019 | HJK | ||
| 2019–2021 | Nordsjælland | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019 | Klubi 04 | 6 | (0) |
| 2021–2024 | Nordsjælland | 19 | (0) |
| 2023 | → HB Køge (loan) | 14 | (3) |
| 2023 | → Mjällby (loan) | 11 | (2) |
| 2024– | Sirius | 29 | (7) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2018 | Finland U15 | ||
| 2019 | Finland U16 | 3 | (1) |
| 2019–2020 | Finland U17 | 12 | (3) |
| 2022 | Finland U19 | 3 | (0) |
| 2021– | Finland U21 | 12 | (2) |
| 2024– | Finland | 6 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11 November 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 November 2024 | |||
Leo Walta (born 24 June 2003) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Allsvenskan side Sirius and the Finland national team.
Club career
[edit]HJK Helsinki
[edit]Walta started at HJK Helsinki when he was eight years old.[1] Walta was a very attractive player during his youth years at HJK, where it led to several trials in, among others, German clubs TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and Bayern Munich, and also at Dutch club PSV Eindhoven.[2] However, he couldn't move abroad until he was 16 years old, according to FIFA rules.
Therefore, he stayed at HJK and at the age of 15 in May 2019, started playing for HJK's reserve team, Klubi 04, in the Finnish third division, Kakkonen.[3]
FC Nordsjælland
[edit]In September 2019 it was announced, that FC Nordsjælland had bought 16-year old Walta from HJK Helsinki for "a significant transfer amount".[1] In his first season at the club, he mostly played for the U-17 team, but also made seven appearances and scored two goals for the U-19s, while he also made his reserve team debut in November 2019.
In the 2020–21 season, Walta became a key player for Nordsjælland's U19s, where he played 23 league games and scored six goals. At the end of the season, on 14 July 2021, Nordsjælland confirmed, that Walta had signed a new deal with the club and had been promoted to the first team squad.[4] Four days later, on 18 July 2021, Walta got his professional debut for Nordsjælland against Viborg FF in the Danish Superliga.[5]
HB Køge (loan)
[edit]On transfer deadline day, 31 January 2023, HB Køge confirmed that Walta had joined the club on a loan deal for the remainder of the season.[6]
Mjällby AIF (loan)
[edit]After returning to Nordsjælland, he was sent out on loan again, this time to Allsvenskan club Mjällby AIF until the end of the 2023 season.[7] On 18 September 2023, Walta scored his first goals in Allsvenskan by a brace against IFK Norrköping away, helping his side to take a 2–0 win.[8][9] After the season, Mjällby were interested in signing with Walta on a permanent contract, but Nordsjælland's asking price of €1.3 million was too high for them. It was also reported that there were several interested clubs in Eredivisie.[10]
IK Sirius
[edit]On 8 March 2024, Walta joined Allsvenskan side Sirius on a deal until 30 June 2028 for an undisclosed fee, rumoured to be €1.25 million.[11][12] During his first season with Sirius, Walta made 29 appearances in Allsvenskan scoring seven goals and providing three assists.[13] In November, Walta was listed in the 13th place of the top50 2024 Allsvenskan players by the Aftonbladet.[14]
International career
[edit]Walta is a regular youth international, and has represented Finland at various youth national team levels.
On 4 June 2024, Walta made his senior national team debut for Finland, in a 4–2 friendly defeat against Portugal.[15]
Personal life
[edit]His younger sister Ilona (born 2006) is also a footballer.[16]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of 11 November 2024[17]
| Club | Season | League | Cup[a] | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Klubi 04 | 2019 | Kakkonen | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| Nordsjælland | 2021–22 | Danish Superliga | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Danish Superliga | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 0 | |||
| Total | 19 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | ||
| HB Køge (loan) | 2022–23 | Danish 1st Division | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 3 | ||
| Mjällby (loan) | 2023 | Allsvenskan | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 2 | ||
| Sirius | 2024 | Allsvenskan | 29 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 7 | ||
| Career total | 79 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 85 | 12 | ||
- ^ Includes Danish Cup and Svenska Cupen
International
[edit]- As of match played 13 October 2024
| Finland | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals | |
| 2024 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 6 | 0 | |
Honours
[edit]- Football Association of Finland: Young Player of the Year 2021[18]
References
[edit]- ^ a b FC Nordsjælland handler: Henter finsk teenager for "betydeligt beløb", tipsbladet.dk, 2 September 2019
- ^ Flere storklubber interesseret i 14-årig Allan Simonsen-type, tv3sport.dk, 6 April 2018
- ^ Leo Walta at Soccerway
- ^ LEO WALTA FORLÆNGER OG RYKKER OP I SUPERLIGA-TRUPPEN, fcn.dk, 14 July 2021
- ^ NORDSJÆLLAND VS. VIBORG 1 - 2, soccerway.com, 18 July 2021
- ^ Leo Walta ny mand i HB Køge, hbkoge.dk, 31 January 2023
- ^ Välkommen till Mjällby AIF – Leo Walta, maif.se, 1 August 2023
- ^ Leo Walta gjorde sina två första mål i allsvenskan – ledde Mjällby till bortaseger över IFK Norrköping, Svenska Yle, 19 September 2023
- ^ Två mål av Leo Walta - Norrköping buades ut på hemmaplan, fotbollskanalen.se, 18 September 2023
- ^ MTV Urheilun tiedot: Ruotsalaisseura haluaa Suomen huippulupauksen – kuuma nimi myös Hollannissa, mtvuutiset.fi, MTV Oy, 5 March 2024
- ^ Leo Walta klar för Sirius Fotboll, siriusfotboll.se, 8 March 2024
- ^ MTV Urheilun tiedot: Ruotsalaisseura haluaa Suomen huippulupauksen – kuuma nimi myös Hollannissa, MTV Oy/ mtvuutiset.fi, Eetu Ikola, 5 March 2024
- ^ Ruotsin Allsvenskanissa maaleja tehtaileva Leo Walta osui jälleen, Yle, 6 October 2024
- ^ Jätterankning: 50 bästa spelarna i allsvenskan 2024, Aftonbladet
- ^ Teemu Pukin maalit Huuhkajien ilonaihe, Portugali täysin ylivoimainen, Yle, 4 June 2024
- ^ Ilona Walta kertoo pelaajatarinansa: ”Rakkaus lajiin syntyi jo ennen sen aloittamista”, hjk.fi, 14 June 2023
- ^ "Leo Walta". flashscore.
- ^ Kaikki Captain's Ballissa 2021 jaetut palkinnot
External links
[edit]- Leo Walta at Soccerway
- 2003 births
- Living people
- Finnish men's footballers
- Finnish expatriate men's footballers
- Men's association football midfielders
- Finland men's youth international footballers
- Finland men's under-21 international footballers
- Finland men's international footballers
- Kakkonen players
- Danish Superliga players
- Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi players
- Klubi 04 players
- FC Nordsjælland players
- HB Køge players
- Mjällby AIF players
- People from Vantaa
- Finnish expatriate sportspeople in Denmark
- Finnish expatriate sportspeople in Sweden
- Expatriate men's footballers in Denmark
- Expatriate men's footballers in Sweden
- Allsvenskan players
- IK Sirius Fotboll players
- Danish 1st Division players