Personal information | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full name | Elias Mikko Ilmari Äijälä | |||||||||||||
Date of birth | (2003-03-24) 24 March 2003 (age 21) | |||||||||||||
Place of birth | Espoo, Finland | |||||||||||||
Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||
Position(s) | Defender | |||||||||||||
Youth career | ||||||||||||||
2011–2023 | Honka | |||||||||||||
Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
2020–2023 | Honka II | 27 | (0) | |||||||||||
2022–2023 | Honka | 29 | (0) | |||||||||||
2024 | Gnistan | 20 | (1) | |||||||||||
2024 | → PKKU (loan) | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||
International career | ||||||||||||||
2024– | Finland U21 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 October 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 June 2024 |
Elias Mikko Ilmari Äijälä (born 24 March 2003) is a Finnish professional football player who most recently played as a full back for Veikkausliiga side Gnistan.
Career
Äijälä started in a youth sector of Honka, when he was eight years old. He made his Veikkausliiga debut with Honka first team in 2022. After the 2023 season, Honka was suddenly declared for bankruptcy, and Äijälä was released.
On 16 January 2024, Äijälä signed a one-year deal with newly promoted Veikkausliiga side IF Gnistan. He scored his first goal in Veikkausliiga on 30 June, in a 2–1 home defeat against Ekenäs IF.
International career
Äijälä was called-up to the Finland under-21 national team for a friendly tournament Baltic Cup in early June 2024. He played in two games against Estonia and Lithuania.
Career statistics
- As of 4 November 2024.
Club | Season | League | Cup | League cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Honka Akatemia | 2020 | Kakkonen | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | |||
2021 | Kakkonen | 14 | 0 | – | – | – | 14 | 0 | ||||
2022 | Kakkonen | 6 | 0 | – | – | – | 6 | 0 | ||||
2023 | Kakkonen | 6 | 0 | – | – | – | 6 | 0 | ||||
Total | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | ||
Honka | 2022 | Veikkausliiga | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 21 | 0 | |
2023 | Veikkausliiga | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 0 | |
Total | 29 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 43 | 0 | ||
Gnistan | 2024 | Veikkausliiga | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | 26 | 1 | |
PK Keski-Uusimaa (loan) | 2024 | Ykkönen | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | |||
Career total | 77 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 96 | 1 |
- Includes Suomen Cup
- Includes Finnish League Cup
- Appearances in UEFA Conference League
Honours
Honka
- Finnish League Cup: 2022
- Finnish Cup runner-up: 2023
References
- FC Hongan edustusjoukkueessa pelaava Elias Äijälä: Tie 8-vuotiaasta honkalaisesta Veikkausliigaan, fchonka.fi
- ELIAS ÄIJÄLÄ JA GNISTAN SOPIMUKSEEN, gnistan.fi, 16 January 2024
- Gnistan vahvistaa puolustustaan - Elias Äijälä sopimukseen, Veikkausliiga, 16 January 2024
External links
- Elias Äijälä at Soccerway
- Elias Äijälä at WorldFootball.net
- Living people
- 2003 births
- Finnish men's footballers
- 21st-century Finnish sportsmen
- Men's association football defenders
- Kakkonen players
- Ykkönen players
- Veikkausliiga players
- Pallohonka players
- FC Honka players
- IF Gnistan players
- Pallokerho Keski-Uusimaa players
- Footballers from Espoo
- Finland men's youth international footballers
- Finland men's under-21 international footballers