Teemu Pukki: How is the ex-Norwich City star getting on at Minnesota United? | OneFootball

Teemu Pukki is a Norwich City legend, and maintained an impressive scoring record for the Canaries as he bagged 88 goals in 210 appearances for the Carrow Road outfit before leaving for Major League Soccer side Minnesota United in the summer of 2023.

During his time in English football, the hot-shot was particularly dangerous in the Championship and scored 29 goals during the 2018/19 second-tier campaign as the Canaries lifted the title, and earned promotion to the Premier League.

The Finland international more or less replicated that feat during the 2020/21 Championship season, as he scored 26 goals for the Yellows, who once again claimed the second-tier title.

Although his goal productivity dropped off during his time in the Premier League, Pukki maintained his finishing ability and scored 11 goals during the 2019/20 season, a record he replicated during the 2021/22 top-flight campaign.

Despite the fact that, ultimately, Pukki could not score the goals which would keep the Canaries in the top-flight during either of his Premier League stints with the club, it is not easy to return double figures for a side who finish bottom of the league, and he should be given a big amount of credit for managing to do so twice.

The former Celtic and Schalke man enjoyed some of the best days of his footballing career to date at Carrow Road, and his eye-for-goal is still intact in the United States.

Pukki is scoring goals in Minnesota

In his first ever MLS season, the former Canaries star once again proved his deadly goal-scoring touch as he scored 10 goals and provided one assist in just 14 appearances and 13 starts for his new club.

However, the ace's efforts were not enough to secure Minnesota a play-off spot in the 2023 MLS season, as the former North American Soccer League outfit finished 11th in the Western table, three points below ninth-placed San Jose, who secured the final play-off spot.

In the overall supporters shield, Minnesota finished 21st out of 29, but were surprisingly seven points ahead of Lionel Messi's Inter Miami at the end of the season.

The Loons faithful will hope that during the 2024 MLS season, Pukki is able to fire them into the play-offs, while their first game of the 2024 campaign is an away trip to Austin FC on 25th February.

The striker and his wife, Kirsikka, welcomed a new son into the world on 4th February, with the couple making a joint Instagram post

Prior to the recent birth of their son, the Pukki's were already parents to two daughters, while the former Canaries man will enter the new MLS season just three weeks after his son was born.

Finland will hope Teemu Pukki can deliver

Pukki is still a mainstay in the team for his native Finland, and last scored for his country in a Euro 2024 qualifier win over Northern Ireland back in November.

The forward's national team take on Wales in a Euro qualifying semi-final at the Cardiff City Stadium on 21st March, and will face either Poland or Estonia to decide who goes through to the tournament in Germany in the summer, should they progress past the Welsh.

Finland will hope that Pukki's eye-for-goal is intact in March, while the Wales clash pits the forward up against former Championship opponents such as Leeds United's Dan James and Swansea City defender Ben Cabango, so many of the Welsh contingent will be aware of the striker's threat in front of goal.