Viljami Sinisalo
Sinisalo with Finland U21 in 2022
Personal information
Full name Viljami Kari Veikko Sinisalo[1]
Date of birth (2001-10-11) 11 October 2001[2]
Place of birth Espoo, Finland
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[3]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Exeter City
(on loan from Aston Villa)
Number 1
Youth career
HyPS
HJK
Honka
0000–2017 Espoo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2018 Espoo 1 (0)
2018– Aston Villa 0 (0)
2020–2021 → Ayr United (loan) 22 (0)
2022 → Burton Albion (loan) 4 (0)
2023– → Exeter City (loan) 25 (0)
International career‡
2017–2018 Finland U17 6 (0)
2019 Finland U19 4 (0)
2020–2022 Finland U21 14 (0)
2023– Finland 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 January 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20 November 2023 (UTC)

Viljami Kari Veikko Sinisalo (born 11 October 2001) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Exeter City,[4] on loan from Premier League club Aston Villa, and the Finland national team. Sinisalo previously played for FC Espoo in the Finnish Kakkonen (third tier), making his league debut aged only fifteen, and has appeared regularly at youth international level for Finland before debuting for the senior team in 2023.

Club career

Sinisalo spent his youth career with Hyvinkään Palloseura, HJK and FC Honka,[5] and made his senior league debut for FC Espoo in June 2017, aged only 15.[6]

Aston Villa

He joined Aston Villa's academy in 2018,[7] and was a regular player in their under-18 and under-23 sides before joining Ayr United in the Scottish Championship on loan until the end of the season on 25 September 2020.[8][9] He made his Ayr United debut on 6 October 2020, in a 5–2 away Scottish League Cup victory over Albion Rovers.[10] On 8 April 2021, Sinisalo's loan was cut short, after he suffered a groin injury and returned to Aston Villa.[11]

On 6 July 2021, Sinisalo was amongst several Academy players who were given new professional contracts.[12] One year on, on 6 July 2022, Sinisalo renewed his Aston Villa contract once again.[13]

Burton Albion (loan)

On 11 July 2022, Sinisalo signed for League One club Burton Albion on a season-long loan.[14] He made his debut on 9 August 2022, in a 2–0 EFL Cup defeat to Rochdale.[15] The loan was ended early and Sinisalo returned to Villa on 1 January 2023.[16]

Exeter City (loan)

On 19 July 2023, Sinisalo joined Exeter City on a season-long loan.[17] He was given the number 1 shirt, and got a clean sheet on his debut, a 3–0 League One victory over Wycombe Wanderers on 5 August 2023.[18]

National football team

Sinisalo has played for Finland at under-17 and under-19 levels.[2] On 17 November 2020, he made his debut for the Under-21s in a UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifier against Malta.[19] Sinisalo was named Finland U21's captain for their 15 November 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifier against Estonia.[20]

In December 2022, Sinisalo was named Finland's U21 Player of the Year for 2022.[21]

On 14 September 2022, Sinisalo was called up in the Finland senior squad, previous to their UEFA Nations League matches against Romania and Montenegro.[22] However, he was an unused substitute in both games.[23]

On 12 January 2023, Sinisalo made his debut in the senior Finland national football team in a 1–0 friendly defeat to Estonia.[24]

Sinisalo made his competitive international debut on 20 November 2023, in a UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying match against San Marino.[25]

Personal life

Viljami Sinisalo's grandfather was the actor Veikko Sinisalo.[26]

Career statistics

As of match played 13 January 2024[6]
Appearances and goals by club, season, and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
FC Espoo 2017 Kakkonen 1000000010
Aston Villa 2020–21[27] Premier League 0000001[lower-alpha 1]010
2021–22[28] 0000001[lower-alpha 1]010
Total 0000002020
Ayr United (loan) 2020–21[27] Scottish Championship 220205000290
Burton Albion (loan) 2022–23[29] League One 4010102[lower-alpha 1]080
Exeter City (loan) 2023–24[30] League One 250104000300
Career total 5204010040700
  1. 1 2 3 Appearances in EFL Trophy

International

As of match played 20 November 2023[31]
National team Year Apps Goals
Finland 2023 2 0
Total 2 0

References

  1. ↑ "Club list of registered players: As at 18th May 2019: Aston Villa" (PDF). English Football League. p. 3. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Viljami Sinisalo". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  3. ↑ "Viljami Sinisalo". Burton Albion F.C. Archived from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  4. ↑ "Huuhkajien huippulupaus siirtyy Valioliigasta uuden seuran väreihin". mtvuutiset.fi (in Finnish). 12 July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  5. ↑ "Nuori suomalaismaalivahti siirtyy perinteikkääseen englantilaisseuraan". www.iltalehti.fi (in Finnish). 29 June 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  6. 1 2 Viljami Sinisalo at Soccerway. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  7. ↑ Dick, Brian (30 June 2018). "Aston Villa's first signing of the summer as young prospect arrives". BirminghamLive. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  8. ↑ Preece, Ashley (26 September 2020). "Villa youngster Viljami Sinisalo heads to Scotland on loan deal". BirminghamLive. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  9. ↑ Wilson, Stuart (25 September 2020). "United land Aston Villa goalkeeper starlet on loan". Daily Record. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  10. ↑ McGilvray, Andy (6 October 2020). "Albion Rovers 2 Ayr United 5: Rovers lose out to classy Ayr United". Daily Record. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  11. ↑ Wilson, Stuart (8 April 2021). "Aston Villa goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo 'gutted' to cut loan spell short at Ayr United". Daily Record. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  12. ↑ "Seven Villa U23s pen new deals". Aston Villa Football Club. 6 July 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  13. ↑ "Viljami Sinisalo pens new deal". Aston Villa Football Club. 6 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  14. ↑ Slater, Rob (11 July 2022). "BURTON ALBION SIGN GOALKEEPER VILJAMI SINISALO ON LOAN FROM ASTON VILLA". Burton Albion Football Club. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  15. ↑ "Rochdale 2-0 Burton Albion". BBC Sport. 9 August 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  16. ↑ "Jalkapallo | Suomalaismaalivahti Viljami Sinisalo palaa Aston Villaan". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 1 January 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  17. ↑ "Exeter City sign Villa keeper Sinisalo on loan". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  18. ↑ "📝 Match Report: Wycombe Wanderers 0 City 3". www.exetercityfc.co.uk. 5 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  19. ↑ "Malta-Finland | Under-21". UEFA.com. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  20. ↑ "Internationals: Tyrone Mings nets maiden England goal against San Marino". Aston Villa Football Club. 16 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  21. ↑ "🏆 Vuoden U21-pelaajaksi on valittu Viljami Sinisalo. Paljon onnea, Viljami!". Suomen Palloliitto on Twitter (in Finnish). 1 December 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  22. ↑ Powlson, Nigel (14 September 2022). "SINISALO CALLED UP FOR INTERNATIONAL DUTY". Burton Albion Football Club. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  23. ↑ "Internationals: John McGinn, Robin Olsen and Ludwig Augustinsson in action". Aston Villa Football Club. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  24. ↑ VAVEL.com (12 January 2023). "Summary and goals of Finland 0-1 Estonia in Friendly Match | 01/12/2023". VAVEL. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  25. ↑ Soiri upotti maaleillaan San Marinon, Galvez syötti maalin – ”olimme kärsivällisiä”, Helsingin Sanomat, Ari Virtanen, 20 November 2023
  26. ↑ Virtanen, Ari (14 October 2023). "Tulevaisuudessa tarvitaan uusi Hradecky, ja paikkaa havittelee yksi Englannissa koulittu torjuja" (in Finnish). Helsingin Sanomat. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  27. 1 2 "Games played by Viljami Sinisalo in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  28. ↑ "Games played by Viljami Sinisalo in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  29. ↑ "Games played by Viljami Sinisalo in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  30. ↑ "Games played by Viljami Sinisalo in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  31. ↑ "Viljami Sinisalo". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 26 October 2023.


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