Seth Saarinen
{{short description|Finnish footballer (born 2001)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Seth Saarinen
|fullname =
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|05|05|df=y}}
|birth_place = Helsinki, Finland
|height = 1.80 m
|position = Defender
|currentclub = De Graafschap
|clubnumber = 2
|youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2017
|youthclubs1 = HJK
|youthyears2 = 2017
|youthclubs2 = Zürich
|years1 = 2018–2019 |clubs1 = Klubi 04 |caps1 = 22 |goals1 = 1
|years2 = 2020–2022 |clubs2 = Haka |caps2 = 59 |goals2 = 3
|years3 = 2023–2024 |clubs3 = KuPS |caps3 = 43 |goals3 = 4
|years4 = 2025– |clubs4 = De Graafschap |caps4 = 4 |goals4 = 0
|nationalyears1 = 2016–2017
|nationalteam1 = Finland U16
|nationalcaps1 = 5
|nationalgoals1 = 0
|nationalyears2 = 2019
|nationalteam2 = Finland U18
|nationalcaps2 = 2
|nationalgoals2 = 0
|club-update = 11 May 2025
|nationalteam-update = 12:34, 22 July 2020 (UTC)
}}
Seth Saarinen (born 5 May 2001) is a Finnish footballer who plays as a right-back for Dutch {{Dutch football updater|DeGraafsc}} club De Graafschap.
Club career
Saarinen spent his youth years in HJK youth sector, before he transferred to FC Zürich in 2017, for a €100,000 transfer fee.[https://www.iltalehti.fi/jalkapallo/a/201706122200202823 16-vuotias suomalaislupaus siirtyy HJK:sta Sveitsiin - maajoukkuevalinta vielä auki], Iltalehti, 12 June 2017
Saarinen signed with Veikkausliiga club Haka on 11 December 2019 on a one-year deal.[https://www.aamulehti.fi/jalkapallo/art-2000007470972.html Haka teki uusia sopimuksia: Joonas Immonen jatkaa maalilla, nuoresta Seth Saarisesta ensimmäinen uusi kiinnitys], Aamulehti, 11 December 2019 His contract with Haka was extended for two more years on 6 September 2020.[https://www.veikkausliiga.com/uutiset/2020/09/06/purme-ja-saarinen-jatkosopimuksiin-hakan-kanssa Purme ja Saarinen jatkosopimuksiin Hakan kanssa], Veikkausliiga, 6 September 2020
Ahead of the 2023 Veikkausliiga season, Saarinen signed with KuPS on a two-year deal.[https://www.savonsanomat.fi/urheilu/5974407 KuPSissa jo kolme päävalmentajaa kokenut Saarinen lähti ulkomaan kentille heti yläkoulun jälkeen, mutta Sveitsin visiitti jäi lyhyeksi], Savon Sanomat, Outi Poikonen, 3 June 2023
On 7 September 2024, it was announced that Saarinen would join Dutch club De Graafschap in January 2025. He had signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with an option for one more.[https://www.degraafschap.nl/nieuws/de-graafschap-versterkt-zich-in-de-winter-met-seth-saarinen De Graafschap versterkt zich in de winter met Seth Saarinen], degraafschap.nl, 7 September 2024
Personal life
Saarinen was born in Finland to a Swiss mother and a Finnish father, and he holds dual citizenship of Finland and Switzerland.{{cite web |url=https://yle.fi/urheilu/3-9665429 |title=16-vuotiaasta Seth Saarisesta tuorein ulkomaille lähtevä suomalaislupaus – "FC Zürichiltä iso panostus" |last=Rönkä |first=Otto |date=12 June 2017 |publisher=Yle |language=fi |access-date=9 December 2020}} He fulfilled the mandatory Finnish military service in Santahamina, Helsinki, between Autumn 2023 and Spring 2024.
Career statistics
{{updated|11 May 2025}}{{Soccerway|seth-saarinen/545571|accessdate=22 July 2020}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" | |||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Cup{{efn|Includes Suomen Cup and KNVB Cup}} !colspan="2"|Europe !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division
!Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals | |||||||||
| rowspan="3"|Klubi 04
|2018 |2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2019
|20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 2{{efn|name=b|Appearances in the Kakkonen Cup}} | 0 | 22 | 1 | |
| colspan=2 | Total
!22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 1 |
| rowspan="4"|Haka
|2020 |12 | 0 | 6 | 1 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 18 | 1 | ||
| 2021
|Veikkausliiga |19 | 2 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 21 | 2 | ||
| 2022
|Veikkausliiga |28 | 1 | 4 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 5{{efn|name=LC|Appearances in the Finnish League Cup}} | 0 | 37 | 1 | |
| colspan=2 | Total
!59 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 4 |
| rowspan="3"|KuPS
|2023 |Veikkausliiga |24 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2{{efn|name=UECL|Appearances in the UEFA Europa Conference League}} | 0 | 6{{efn|name=LC|Appearances in the Finnish League Cup}} | 0 | 35 | 3 |
| 2024
|Veikkausliiga |19 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1{{efn|name=UECL}} | 0 | 7{{efn|name=LC|Appearances in the Finnish League Cup}} | |0 | 32 | 1 |
| colspan=2 | Total
!43 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 66 | 4 |
| KuPS Akatemia
|2024 |Ykkönen |1 | 1 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 1 | 1 | |||
| De Graafschap
|4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan=2|– | colspan=2|– | 5 | 0 | ||
| colspan=3 | Career total
!129 | 9 | 21 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 173 | 10 |
;Notes
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
Honours
KuPS
- Veikkausliiga: 2024[https://yle.fi/a/74-20118969 Kuopio villiintyi KuPSin mestaruudesta – Eini ilmestyi juhlahumuun], Yle, 19 October 2024
- Veikkausliiga runner-up: 2023
- Finnish Cup: 2024[https://yle.fi/a/74-20113117 KuPS nousi takaa ohi Suomen Cupin voittoon – Petteri Pennanen ratkaisi pelin upealla laukauksella], Yle, 21 September 2024
- Finnish League Cup runner-up: 2024
References
{{reflist}}
{{De Graafschap squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saarinen, Seth}}
Category:Finnish men's footballers
Category:21st-century Finnish sportsmen
Category:Swiss men's footballers
Category:Finland men's youth international footballers
Category:Men's association football defenders
Category:Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi players
Category:Kuopion Palloseura players
Category:Veikkausliiga players
Category:Eerste Divisie players
Category:De Graafschap players
Category:Finnish people of Swiss descent
Category:Swiss people of Finnish descent
Category:Finnish expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Switzerland