Mihkel Aksalu
| 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 club | SJK | ||
| Number | 33 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| FC Kuressaare | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2000–2002 | FC Kuressaare | 1 | (0) |
| 2000–2001 | → Muhumaa JK | 27 | (0) |
| 2002 | → Sörve JK | 12 | (0) |
| 2003 | HÜJK Emmaste | ? | (?) |
| 2003–2010 | FC Flora Tallinn | 116 | (0) |
| 2003–2005 | → JK Tervis Pärnu | ? | (?) |
| 2006 | → FC Flora II Tallinn | 6 | (0) |
| 2010–2012 | Sheffield United | 0 | (0) |
| 2010 | → Mansfield Town (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2012 | FC Flora Tallinn | 7 | (0) |
| 2013– | SJK | 26 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| Estonia U21 | 13 | (0) | |
| 2007– | Estonia[1] | 11 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23 November 2013. † Appearances (Goals). | |||
Mihkel Aksalu (born 7 November 1984 in Kuressaare) is an Estonian professional footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho in Finnish Veikkausliiga. He has had spells at Sheffield United and Mansfield Town in England.
Club career
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.[2] The following season, after failing to break into the first team, he signed a two-month loan deal with Mansfield Town.[3] 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.[4] 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.[5]
He rejoined his old club FC Flora Tallinn in early April of the same year,[6] but left the club again in June to cure his back pain that did not allow him to play.[7]
In early April 2013, Aksalu signed with Finnish Ykkonen side Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho.[7] That season SJK won the league and got promoted to Veikkausliiga.
Statistics
Updated 7 May 2013.
| Season | League level | Country | Club | First team | Reserve team | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Goals against | Games | Goals against | ||||
| 2000 | 1 |  | FC Kuressaare | 1 | 1 | 11 | |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | 16 | ||||
| 2002 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | |||
| 2003 | | HÜJK Emmaste | |||||
| 2003 | 1 | | FC Flora Tallinn | 1 | |||
| 2004 | 1 | 15 | |||||
| 2005 | 8 | 10 | 7 | ||||
| 2006 | 15 | 12 | 6 | ||||
| 2007 | 30 | 24 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2008 | 30 | 25 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2009 | 31 | 29 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2009–10 | 2 |  | Sheffield United | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| 2010–11 | 2 | | Sheffield United | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| 2010–11 | 5 | | Mansfield Town (loan) | 3 | ? | — | — |
| 2011–12 | 3 | | Sheffield United | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| 2012 | 1 | | FC Flora Tallinn | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 2013 | 2 |  | SJK | 26 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
International career
He is a member of the Estonia national football team and he made his national team debut on 17 October 2007 against Montenegro. He played 13 matches for Estonian U21 national football team.
Honours
Club
- JK Tervis Pärnu
- Estonian Second Division
- Runners Up: 2003
- Estonian Second Division
- FC Flora Tallinn
- Estonian Top Division
- Runners Up: 2007, 2008
- Estonian Cup: 2008, 2009
- Runners Up: 2006
- Estonian SuperCup
- Runners Up: 2006
- Winner 2009
- Estonian Top Division
- Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho
- Finnish Ykkonen
- League winners 2013
- Finnish Ykkonen
Individual
- Baltic League Awards – Best Goalkeeper: 2007
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Incumbent |
Baltic League Goalkeeper of the Year 2007 |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
References
- ↑ "Kõik Eesti internatsionaalid" [All Estonian internationals] (in Estonian). Eesti Jalgpalli Liit. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Aksalu testimisel Kamsi ja Goldbergi klubis" (in Estonian). Soccernet.ee. 7 March 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.