Mihkel Aksalu
 Aksalu with Estonia in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mihkel Aksalu | ||
| Date of birth | 7 November 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Kuressaare, Estonia | ||
| Height | 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | SJK | ||
| Number | 33 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Kuressaare | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2000–2002 | Kuressaare | 1 | (0) |
| 2000–2001 | → Muhumaa (loan) | 27 | (0) |
| 2002 | → Sörve (loan) | 12 | (0) |
| 2003 | HÜJK Emmaste | 0 | (0) |
| 2006 | Flora II | 6 | (0) |
| 2003–2009 | Flora | 115 | (0) |
| 2003–2005 | → Tervis Pärnu (loan) | 22 | (1) |
| 2009–2012 | Sheffield United | 0 | (0) |
| 2010 | → Mansfield Town (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2012 | Flora II | 1 | (0) |
| 2012 | Flora | 7 | (0) |
| 2013– | SJK | 119 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| Estonia U21 | 13 | (0) | |
| 2007– | Estonia | 29 | (0) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14 November 2016. | |||
Mihkel Aksalu (born 7 November 1984) is an Estonian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Finnish Veikkausliiga club SJK and the Estonia national football team.
Club career
Sheffield United
On 29 January 2010 it was announced that Aksalu had signed for Sheffield United on a two and a half-year deal after a successful trial with the club. Kevin Blackwell, United's manager at the time, claimed that he had the potential to be Estonia's Number one, and he was the best goalkeeper trialist he'd seen.[1] The following season, after failing to break into the first team, he signed a two-month loan deal with Mansfield Town.[2] During his time at Mansfield Town, he 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.[3] Remaining as a regular in the reserves he was unable to make the breakthrough into the first team in the following season. After a lengthy spell on the sidelines following back surgery he was released by the Blades in January 2012.[4]
Return to Flora
He rejoined his old club Flora in early April of the same year,[5] but left the club again in June to cure his back pain that did not allow him to play.[6]
SJK
In early April 2013, Aksalu signed with Finnish Ykkonen club SJK.[6] That season SJK won the league and got promoted to Veikkausliiga. In October 2014 SJK won the silver medal in Veikkausliiga, placing second after HJK. Aksalu was named as one of the best goalkeepers in the league and SJK's Player of the Year. Season 2015 brought Aksalu the taste of silverware when SJK won the first Finnish Championship in the club history. Aksalu captained the side. He was chosen as Veikkausliiga's Goalkeeper of the year and SJK's Player of the Year.
International career
Aksalu is a member of the Estonia national football team and he made his national team debut on 17 October 2007 against Montenegro.[7] He played 13 matches for Estonian U21 national football team.
Career statistics
Club
- As of 14 November 2016.[8]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Kuressaare | 2000 | Meistriliiga | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| Muhumaa (loan) | 2000 | Esiliiga | 11 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0 | ||||||
| 2001 | II liiga | 16 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 0 | |||||||
| Total | 27 | 0 | 27 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Sörve (loan) | 2002 | II liiga | 12 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 0 | ||||||
| HÜJK Emmaste | 2003 | II liiga | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Flora II | 2006 | Esiliiga | 6 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||||||
| Flora | 2003 | Meistriliiga | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2004 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| 2005 | 8 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |||||
| 2006 | 15 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | |||||
| 2007 | 30 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 36 | 0 | |||||
| 2008 | 30 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 0 | |||||
| 2009 | 31 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 39 | 0 | |||
| Total | 115 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 134 | 0 | ||
| Tervis Pärnu (loan) | 2004 | Esiliiga | 15 | 1 | — | — | 15 | 1 | ||||||
| 2005 | 7 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 0 | ||||||||
| Total | 22 | 1 | 22 | 1 | ||||||||||
| Sheffield United | 2009–10 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2011–12 | League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Mansfield Town (loan) | 2010–11 | Conference National | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Flora II | 2012 | Esiliiga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Flora | 2012 | Meistriliiga | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| SJK | 2013 | Ykkönen | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | |
| 2014 | Veikkausliiga | 30 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 38 | 0 | ||
| 2015 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 0 | ||
| 2016 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 0 | ||
| Total | 119 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 139 | 0 | ||
| Total | 312 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 354 | 1 | ||
International
- As of 14 November 2016.[8]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estonia | |||
| 2007 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 8 | 0 | |
| Total | 29 | 0 | |
Honours
Club
- Flora
- Estonian Cup: 2007–08, 2008–09
- Estonian Supercup: 2009
- SJK
Individual
- Baltic League – Best Goalkeeper: 2007
- Veikkausliiga – Best Goalkeeper: 2015
- SJK – Player of the Year: 2015
References
- ↑ "Blades sign international 'keeper". Sheffield United. 29 January 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-30.
- ↑ "Aksalu returns to Blades". mansfieldtown.net. 12 August 2012. Retrieved 2010-12-10.
- ↑ "Goalkeeper leaves Blades". Sheffield United F.C. 19 January 2012. Retrieved 2012-01-19.
- ↑ Pulst, Siim (9 April 2012). "Mihkel Aksalu taasliitus Floraga" [Mihkel Aksalu rejoined Flora] (in Estonian). Soccernet.ee. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
- 1 2 "Aksalu testimisel Kamsi ja Goldbergi klubis" (in Estonian). Soccernet.ee. 7 March 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ↑ "Kõik Eesti internatsionaalid" [All Estonian internationals] (in Estonian). Eesti Jalgpalli Liit. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- 1 2 "Mihkel Aksalu". National-Football-Teams.com.
External links
- Mihkel Aksalu profile at the Estonian Football Association website
- Mihkel Aksalu profile at the Sheffield United website
- Mihkel Aksalu career statistics at Soccerbase
