Maiju Ruotsalainen

Maiju Ruotsalainen
Personal information
Full nameMaiju Ruotsalainen
Date of birth25 November 1983
Place of birthTampere, Finland[1]
Height177 cm (5 ft 9 12 in)[2]
Playing positionMidfielder
Forward
Youth career
FC Ilves
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
FC Ilves
MPS
HJK
2004–2005Honka
2006–2007Vejle Boldklub
2007–2008Honka
2009–2013Åland United
2010→ Torres (loan)10(0)
National team
2012Finland1(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Maiju Ruotsalainen (born 25 November 2013) is a Finnish footballer and coach who played for the Finland women's national football team. At club level she most recently represented Åland United of the Naistenliiga.[3] She formerly played for FC Honka and Italy's Torres CF,[4] and she has also played in the UEFA Women's Champions League with all three teams.[5]

Club career

Ruotsalainen began playing in her native Tampere with Ilves, then spent time in Helsinki with MPS and HJK. She spent four seasons with FC Honka, of Espoo, intersected by a spell in Denmark with Vejle.[6]

Ahead of the 2013 season, Ruotsalainen travelled to England for a trial with English FA WSL giants Doncaster Rovers Belles. Although the Belles wanted to sign her, she ultimately decided to rejoin Åland United.[7] Heel and hip injuries caused Ruotsalainen to miss most of the 2013 season.[8]

In October 2013 Ruotsalainen left Åland United after five years and returned to her first club Ilves, where she took up a youth coaching role.[9]

International career

Ruotsalainen was named in the Finland squad for the 2012 Cyprus Cup. At the tournament she featured as a late substitute in Finland's opening match, a 3–1 defeat by England at GSP Stadium.[10]

References

  1. "Maiju Ruotsalainen" (in Finnish). Orsa Sport. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  2. "La Torres femminile fa sul serio". Sardies.org (in Italian). 10 December 2009. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  3. Profile in soccerway.com
  4. Profile in football.it
  5. Profile in UEFA's website
  6. "Maiju Ruotsalainen palaa Ilvekseen" (in Finnish). Ilves. 11 November 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  7. Magnusson, Oskar (7 February 2013). "Åland Uniteds landslagskvintett" (in Swedish). Nya Åland. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  8. Magnusson, Oskar (25 May 2013). "Skador stoppar Ruotsalainen" (in Swedish). Nya Åland. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  9. "Maiju Ruotsalainen jättää Åland Unitedin" (in Finnish). Football Association of Finland. 24 October 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  10. "Suomen naiset kärsivät tappion Englannille". Kymppipaikka.fi (in Finnish). 28 February 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2014.

External links