Mihkel Aksalu

Mihkel Aksalu
Aksalu with Estonia in 2015
Personal information
Full name Mihkel Aksalu
Date of birth (1984-11-07) 7 November 1984
Place of birth Kuressaare, Estonia
Height 1.94 m (6 ft 4 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 SJK
Number 33
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2002 Sörve 39 (0)
2000 Kuressaare 1 (0)
2002 HÜJK Emmaste 9 (0)
2004 Lelle 2 (0)
2003–2005 Tervis Pärnu 29 (0)
2006 Flora II 6 (0)
2003–2009 Flora 115 (0)
2009–2012 Sheffield United 0 (0)
2010 → Mansfield Town (loan) 2 (0)
2012 Flora II 1 (0)
2012 Flora 7 (0)
2013– SJK 151 (0)
National team‡
1999–2000 Estonia U16 4 (0)
Estonia U17 2 (0)
2003 Estonia U20 1 (0)
2004–2007 Estonia U21 13 (0)
2007– Estonia 40 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 27 November 2017
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 9 September 2018

Mihkel Aksalu (born 7 November 1984) is an Estonian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Veikkausliiga club SJK and the Estonia national team.

Club career

Kuressaare

Aksalu began playing football for a local club Kuressaare, and played for the club's reserve side Muhumaa (became Sörve in 2002). He made his debut in the Meistriliiga in his single appearance for Kuressaare on 23 September 2000, in a 4–1 away victory over Valga.

Flora

In December 2002, Aksalu was included in Flora's first team squad for pre-season training.[1] During his first seasons with the club, Aksalu mostly played for the club's reserve side Tervis Pärnu. He became a regular starter for Flora in the 2006 season. Aksalu won his first trophy with Flora in the 2007–08 Estonian Cup.

Sheffield United

On 29 January 2010, following a successful trial, Aksalu signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Championship club Sheffield United for a transfer fee of £180,000. Kevin Blackwell, Sheffield United's manager at the time, claimed Aksalu was the best goalkeeping triallist he had seen in a long time and had the potential to become Estonia's number one.[2] However, Aksalu failed to impress the new manager Gary Speed and was unable to break into the first team.

On 6 October 2010, Aksalu joined Conference National side Mansfield Town on a two-month loan.[3][4] During his time at Mansfield Town, Aksalu played two league matches and one FA Cup match. He remained sidelined through most of his spell due to an abdominal muscle problem and returned to Bramall Lane in December, where remained a regular in the reserves. After a lengthy spell on the sidelines following back surgery, Aksalu was released by the club on 19 January 2012.[5]

Return to Flora

Aksalu returned to Estonia and began training with his former club Flora to regain his fitness. He rejoined the team on 9 April 2012.[6]

SJK

On 4 April 2013, Aksalu signed a one-year contract with Ykkönen club SJK.[7] He made his debut for the team on 4 May 2013, in a 2–1 home win over PK-35 Vantaa. SJK won the 2013 Ykkönen season and were promoted to the Veikkausliiga. In October 2013, Aksalu signed a new two-year contract with the club.[8] On 24 August 2015, his contract was extended to 2017.[9] Aksalu won the Veikkausliiga title in the 2015 season.[10] He was named best goalkeeper in the Veikkausliiga and SJK's Player of the Year.[11] Aksalu was named club captain ahead of the 2016 season. On 24 September 2016, Aksalu helped his team win the 2016 Finnish Cup by saving two penalties in a penalty shoot-out against HJK in the final.[12]

International career

Aksalu began his youth career in 1999 with the Estonia under-16 team. He also represented the under-17, under-20, and under-21 national sides, amassing 20 youth appearances.

Aksalu made his senior international debut for Estonia on 17 October 2007, playing the first half of a friendly match against Montenegro, where he conceded the only goal of the game. In 2015, he succeeded Sergei Pareiko as Estonia's number one goalkeeper.

Career statistics

Club

As of 12 November 2017.[13][14][15]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup[lower-alpha 1] League Cup[lower-alpha 2] Europe Other[lower-alpha 3] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Sörve2000Esiliiga110———110
2001II liiga160———160
2002120———120
Total390———390
Kuressaare2000Meistriliiga1000———10
HÜJK Emmaste2003II liiga9000———90
Lelle2004II liiga2000———20
Tervis Pärnu2003Esiliiga7010——20100
200415010———160
20057000———70
Total29020——20330
Flora II2006Esiliiga 6000———60
Flora2003Meistriliiga1000—000010
20058030—00—110
200615020—0010180
200730000—2040360
200830020—2020360
200931030—2030390
Total1150100—601001410
Sheffield United2009–10Championship000000——00
2010–11000000——00
2011–12League One000000—0000
Total000000—0000
Mansfield Town (loan)2010–11Conference National201000—0030
Flora II2012Esiliiga1000———10
Flora2012Meistriliiga7020—000090
SJK2013Ykkönen2600000——260
2014Veikkausliiga3002060——380
2015320103020—370
2016310204020—380
201732060—20—380
Total151011013060—1810
Total36202601301201204250
  1. ↑ Includes the Estonian Cup, the FA Cup and the Finnish Cup
  2. ↑ Includes the Finnish League Cup
  3. ↑ Includes the Esiliiga promotion play-offs, the Estonian Supercup and the Baltic League

International

As of 12 November 2017.[16]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Estonia
200720
200830
200910
201030
201210
201310
201430
201570
201680
201780
Total370

Honours

Club

Flora
SJK

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Flora ja Valga nimetasid koosseisu" [Flora and Valga announce squads] (in Estonian). Delfi Sport. 4 December 2002.
  2. ↑ "Sheffield United sign Estonia keeper Mihkel Aksalu". BBC Sport. 29 January 2010.
  3. ↑ "Mansfield Town swoop for keeper Mihkel Aksalu". BBC Sport. 6 October 2010.
  4. ↑ "Stags loan for Aksalu". The Telegraph. 7 October 2010.
  5. ↑ "Mihkel Aksalu lahkus Sheffield Unitedist" [Mihkel Aksalu left Sheffield United] (in Estonian). ERR Sport. 19 January 2012.
  6. ↑ "Mihkel Aksalu liitus taas FC Floraga" [Mihkel Aksalu rejoined FC Flora] (in Estonian). ERR Sport. 9 April 2012.
  7. ↑ "Ametlik: Mihkel Aksalust sai Seinäjoki mängija" [Official: Mihkel Aksalu became Seinäjoki's player] (in Estonian). ERR Sport. 4 April 2013.
  8. ↑ "Aksalu pikendas kõrgliigasse tõusva SJK-ga lepingut" [Aksalu extended his contract with top flight-promoted SJK] (in Estonian). ERR Sport. 30 October 2013.
  9. ↑ "Eesti jalgpallikoondise väravavaht pikendas Soomes lepingut" [Estonia national team extended his contract in Finland] (in Estonian). ERR Sport. 24 August 2015.
  10. ↑ "Mihkel Aksalu ja SJK võitsid Soome meistritiitli" [Mihkel Aksalu and SJK won the Finnish championship] (in Estonian). ERR Sport. 25 October 2015.
  11. ↑ "Mihkel Aksalu valiti Soome kõrgliigas hooaja parimaks väravavahiks" [Mihkel Aksalu named best goalkeeper in the Finnish top flight] (in Estonian). ERR Sport. 30 October 2015.
  12. ↑ "Mihkel Aksalu kaks penaltitõrjet aitasid SJK Soome karikafinaalis võidule" [Mihkel Aksalu's two saves in the final helped SJK win the Finnish Cup] (in Estonian). ERR Sport. 24 September 2016.
  13. ↑ "Mihkel Aksalu" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association.
  14. ↑ "M. Aksalu". Soccerway.com.
  15. ↑ "Mihkel Aksalu". National-Football-Teams.com.
  16. ↑ "Mihkel Aksalu" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association.

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