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Jarno Parikka
Personal information
Date of birth	21 July 1986 (age 38)
Place of birth	Vantaa, Finland
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
1991–2000	Korson Palloseura
2000–2003	HJK Helsinki
Senior career*
Years	Team
2006–2011	HJK Helsinki
2012−2015	VPS
2016	HJK Helsinki
International career‡
	Finland U-21
2009	Finland
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 February 2016; ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 1 September 2011

Jarno Parikka (born 21 July, 1986) is a retired Finnish footballer who played as a striker.^[1]

Parikka was known as a striker who possessed a good footballing brain for bringing his teammates in the game, while having an undeniable eye for the goal. His preferred position in the pitch, is playing with another striker and lying in wait just behind him. He has been criticized for being somewhat of a lightweight for a striker.

Biography

Parikka was born and raised in Vantaa. He is a second generation footballer, as his father Jari also played for HJK Helsinki in the 1980s. He also played ice hockey for seven years before moving to HJK and choosing football. He has also played futsal.

Club career

Jarno Parikka got started with football at the age of five, when he joined Korson Palloseura in Vantaa. He joined HJK's youth squad in 2000. He had played as a midfielder for Korso, but was converted from a midfield role to striker in HJK. After three years on the youth team, Parikka made his first appearance for HJK's reserve team Klubi 04 in Kakkonen. His season was successful and in the following season, he was promoted to the first team. However, he broke his anterior crucial ligament in a pre-season match against FC Inter Turku, and the team lost the whole season in 2005.

Parikka made his first appearance for senior side at the age of nineteen, when coach Keith Armstrong let him play in the 1–2 away defeat against FC KooTeePee on 21 April, 2006. He succeeded in scoring his first goal on 28 June, 2006, in a 3–2 win against TPS.

In 2007, he made seven goals in the Finnish league cup, which is a shared record with Ari Hjelm and Aleksei Kangaskolkka. His final breakthrough came in the season 2008, when he scored 9 league goals. In the 2009 season, he is HJK's vice-captain and a regular in the starting eleven. His former Finland U-17 coach Jyrki Heliskoski has compared him to Raúl González, as he has many similarities with the Spaniard.

On 21 January, 2009, Parikka signed a new three-year deal with HJK.^[2] On 23 November, 2011, after his contract with HJK expired, it was announced that Parikka had signed a 2+1 year-contract with Vaasan Palloseura.^[3] He scored his first goal for VPS on 22 April, 2012, in a 2−1 home win over newly promoted FC Lahti.

On 16 December, 2015, HJK announced the return of Parikka to the club on a one-year contract.^[4] Less than two months later, on 12 February, 2016, Parikka announced his retirement from football after a series of knee injuries.^[1]

International career

Parikka has played for his country in different national junior teams, most recently the Finland national under-21 football team. In the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship he played on the Finnish U-17 team and scored the equalising goal in Finland's 2–1 win against China in the opening fixture.

He was also a part of the Finnish under-21 team, that qualified for the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship final tournament in 2009.

On 4 February, 2009, Parikka made his debut in the Finnish national team in a friendly match against Japan.

Family

Parikka's father Jari is also a footballer who played for also played for HJK. His younger brother Mikko Parikka is a regular cast member of the popular prime time soap opera, Salatut elämät.

Career statistics

As of match played 10 August 2014^[5]^[6]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
HJK Helsinki	2005	Veikkausliiga	0	0	0	0	4	1	-		-		4	1
	2006		14	1	5	4	2	0	1	0	-		22	5
	2007		24	3	4	2	8	7	4	0	-		40	12
	2008		22	9	7	5	7	0	-		-		36	14
	2009		24	3					2	0	-		0	0
	2010		15	3	4	3			6	0	-		0	0
	2011		19	3	2	1	7	5	2	1	-		30	10
	Total		118	22					15	1	-	-	0	0
VPS	2012	Veikkausliiga	26	8	2	1	7	2	-		-		35	11
	2013		18	4	1	0	6	3	-		-		25	7
	2014		11	1	1	0	1	0	2	1	-		15	2
	2015		0	0	0	0	0	0	-		-		0	0
	Total		55	13	4	1	14	5	2	1	-	-	75	20
Career total			173	35					17	2	-	-

International

Finland national team
Year	Apps	Goals
2009	1	0
Total	1	0

Statistics accurate as of match played 4 February 2009^[5]

Honours

Club

HJK

Veikkausliiga (3): 2009, 2010, 2011
Finnish Cup (3): 2006, 2008, 2011

Individual

The Most Promising Young Player: 2004^[7]

References

^ ^a ^b "Jarno Parikka avslutar karriären". vasabladet.fi (in Finnish). Vasabladet. 12 February 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
^ "Jarno Parikka jatkaa HJK:ssa vuoteen 2011 asti". hjk.fi. 16 January 2009. Retrieved 21 April 2009.
^ Parikka joins VPS Archived 5 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine (in Finnish)
^ "Jarno Parikka palaa Klubiin". www.hjk.fi/ (in Finnish). HJK. 16 December 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
^ ^a ^b "Jarno Parikka". National-Football-Teams.com. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
^ "J.Parikka". soccerway.com. Soccerway. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
^ "SPL palkitsi parhaita Captain's Ball-gaalassa". palloliitto.fi. 31 October 2004. Retrieved 22 April 2009.