Niklas Jokelainen
{{short description|Finnish footballer (born 2000)}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Niklas Jokelainen
| image = Niklas Jokelainen Ilves 2018 1.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Jokelainen with Ilves in 2018
| full_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|3|30|df=y}}
| birth_place = Oulu, Finland
| height = 1.81m
| position = Forward, midfielder
| currentclub = AC Oulu
| clubnumber = 14
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Tervarit
| years1 = 2015–2016
| clubs1 = AC Oulu
| caps1 = 6
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2016–2017
| clubs2 = Stoke City
| caps2 = 0
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2017–2018
| clubs3 = Ilves
| caps3 = 18
| goals3 = 2
| years4 = 2018
| clubs4 = → JJK (loan)
| caps4 = 6
| goals4 = 0
| years5 = 2019
| clubs5 = RoPS
| caps5 = 20
| goals5 = 2
| years6 = 2019
| clubs6 = RoPS II
| caps6 = 6
| goals6 = 3
| years7 = 2020–
| clubs7 = AC Oulu
| caps7 = 116
| goals7 = 23
| years8 = 2022
| clubs8 = → OLS (loan)
| caps8 = 1
| goals8 = 0
|nationalyears1 = 2015–2016
|nationalteam1 = Finland U17
|nationalcaps1 = 10
|nationalgoals1 = 2
|nationalyears2 = 2017–2018
|nationalteam2 = Finland U18
|nationalcaps2 = 7
|nationalgoals2 = 3
|nationalyears3 = 2018
|nationalteam3 = Finland U19
|nationalcaps3 = 8
|nationalgoals3 = 0
|nationalyears4 = 2022
|nationalteam4 = Finland U21
|nationalcaps4 = 1
|nationalgoals4 = 0
| club-update = 10 April 2025
| nationalteam-update =
}}
Niklas Jokelainen (born 30 March 2000) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder and captains AC Oulu in Veikkausliiga.{{Soccerway|niklas-jokelainen/403195|accessdate=6 June 2018}}[https://acoulu.fi/uutiset/ac-oulun-kapteenisto-on-valittu REF AC OULUN KAPTEENISTO ON VALITTU], acoulu.fi, 1 April 2024
Career
=AC Oulu=
His senior career began in 2015, after 14-year old Jokelainen signed a professional pre-contract in December 2014.[https://acoulu.fi/uutiset/14-vuotias-superlupaus-niklas-jokelainen-sopimukseen-ac-oulun-kanssa/ 14-vuotias superlupaus Niklas Jokelainen sopimukseen AC Oulun kanssa], acoulu.fi, 20 December 2014 At the age of 15 and one month, Jokelainen became the youngest player to play in the AC Oulu shirt when he made his debut in February 2015. He played in six Ykkönen matches during the 2015 and 2016 seasons, before moving to the Academy of Stoke City in the summer 2016.[https://acoulu.fi/uutiset/niklas-jokelainen-siirtyy-valioliigaseura-stoke-city-fcn-organisaatioon/ Niklas Jokelainen siirtyy Valioliigaseura Stoke City FC:n organisaatioon], acoulu.fi, 1 July 2016[https://www.is.fi/urheilulehti/parhaat/art-2000009499203.html Enemmän kuin jalkapalloa], iltasanomat.fi, 7 April 2023
=Ilves=
In August 2017, Jokelainen returned to Finland and joined Ilves, playing in the Veikkausliiga.[https://ilvesedustus.fi/ilves-solmi-sopimuksen-nuoren-hyokkaajan-kanssa/ Ilves solmi sopimuksen nuoren hyökkääjän kanssa], ilvesedustus.fi, 13 August 2017 He made his debut in the league on 8 April 2018, and scored his first league goal on 25 April 2018 against the VPS. In the 2018 season, Jokelainen played a total of 18 league matches and one UEFA Europa League qualifying match, against Slavia Sofia.[https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2018/07/12/europe/uefa-cup/tampereen-ilves/pfc-slavia-sofia/2800101/ ILVES VS. SLAVIA SOFIA 0-1], soccerway.com
=RoPS=
On 13 November 2018, Rovaniemen Palloseura (RoPS) announced that they had signed with Jokelainen for the 2019 season.[https://www.rops.fi/edustusjoukkueen-uutiset/4859-rops-hankki-kolmen-pelaajan-verran-nuorta-lahjakkuutta RoPS hankki kolmen pelaajan verran nuorta lahjakkuutta], rops.fi, 13 November 2018 Jokelainen played a total of 20 league matches and scored two goals in his first season with the club. He also played in both UEFA Europa League qualifying matches against Aberdeen.[https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2019/07/18/europe/uefa-cup/rops-rovaniemi/aberdeen-fc/3033952/ ROPS VS. ABERDEEN 1-2], soccerway.com[https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2019/07/11/europe/uefa-cup/aberdeen-fc/rops-rovaniemi/3033951/ ABERDEEN VS. ROPS 2-1], soccerway.com
=Return to AC Oulu=
Jokelainen returned to AC Oulu for the 2020 season, playing in the second-tier Ykkönen.[https://acoulu.fi/uutiset/hyokkaaja-niklas-jokelainen-palaa-ac-ouluun/ Hyökkääjä Niklas Jokelainen palaa AC Ouluun!], acoulu.fi, 23 December 2019 After the 2020 season, the club won a promotion back to Veikkausliiga and Jokelainen stayed with the club.[https://www.kaleva.fi/galleriat/ac-oulu-varmisti-liiganousun-murskavoitolla-tayden/3088603 AC Oulu varmisti liiganousun murskavoitolla täyden kotikatsomon edessä – Katso kuvia!], Kaleva, 8 November 2020 On 6 October 2022, he extended his contract with AC Oulu on a deal until the end of 2024.[https://acoulu.fi/uutiset/niklas-jokelainen-jatkaa-laivastonsinisissa NIKLAS JOKELAINEN JATKAA LAIVASTONSINISISSÄ], AC Oulu, 6 October 2022 In April 2024, Jokelainen was named the captain of his team for the 2024 season. On 18 October, he extended his contract until the end of 2026 with a one-year option.[https://acoulu.fi/uutiset/kapteeni-niklas-jokelainen-jatkaa-laivastonsinisissa KAPTEENI NIKLAS JOKELAINEN JATKAA LAIVASTONSINISISSÄ], acoulu.fi, 18 October 2024
Career statistics
{{updated|10 April 2025}}[https://us.soccerway.com/players/niklas-jokelainen/403195/ N. JOKELAINEN], soccerway.com
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Cup{{efn|Includes Suomen Cup}} !colspan="2"|League cup{{efn|Includes Finnish League Cup}} !colspan="2"|Europe !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="3"|AC Oulu
|2015 |5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 7 | 1 | |||
| 2016
|Ykkönen |1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | |2 | 0 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!6 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | |
| Stoke City
|0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | ||
| rowspan="3"|Ilves
|2017 |0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2018
|Veikkausliiga |18 | 2 | 2 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | 1{{efn|Includes UEFA Europa League|name=uel}} | 0 | 21 | 3 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!18 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 3 | |
| JJK (loan)
|2018 |Ykkönen |6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 6 | 0 | |||
| RoPS
|2019 |Veikkausliiga |20 | 2 | 5 | 3 | colspan="2"|— | 2{{efn|Includes UEFA Europa League|name=uel}} | 0 | 27 | 5 | ||
| RoPS II
|2019 |6 | 3 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 6 | 3 | ||||
| rowspan="7"|AC Oulu
|2020 |Ykkönen |21 | 5 | 6 | 5 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 27 | 10 | |||
| 2021
|Veikkausliiga |23 | 2 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 26 | 2 | |||
| 2022
|Veikkausliiga |22 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 26 | 4 | ||
| 2023
|Veikkausliiga |28 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 38 | 7 | ||
| 2024
|Veikkausliiga |21 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 29 | 5 | ||
| 2025
|Veikkausliiga |1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | colspan=2|– | 6 | 4 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!116 | 23 | 20 | 7 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 152 | 32 | |
| OLS
|2022 |Kakkonen |1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 1 | 0 | ||||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!173 | 30 | 30 | 12 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 222 | 44 |
{{notelist}}
Honours
- Ykkönen: 2020
- Finnish League Cup runner-up: 2023
Individual
- Northern Finland Football Association: Player of the Year 2024[https://www.palloliitto.fi/ajankohtaista/pohjoisen-alueen-jalkapallokauden-2024-ansioituneita-palkittiin-seurojen-aani-sem Pohjoisen alueen jalkapallokauden 2024 ansioituneita palkittiin Seurojen Ääni -seminaarin yhteydessä], Football Association of Finland, 17 February 2025
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.rops.fi/edustusjoukkue/kausi-2019/pelaajat/player/142-veikkausliiga-2019/299-rops/718-niklas-jokelainen/ RoPS] profile
- {{Soccerway|niklas-jokelainen/403195}}
{{AC Oulu squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jokelainen, Niklas}}
Category:Finnish men's footballers
Category:21st-century Finnish sportsmen
Category:Stoke City F.C. players
Category:Ilves (football) players
Category:Rovaniemen Palloseura players
Category:Veikkausliiga players
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Finnish expatriate men's footballers
Category:Finnish expatriate sportspeople in England
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England
Category:Footballers from Oulu