Teemu Pukki influence must still surprise many at Norwich City: View | OneFootball

There’s an element of risk to any transfer, and despite the hours of footage that scouts watch of each target, you just don’t know how a new signing will settle.

When you sign someone who hasn’t played in your country before, that risk element increases considerably, and when you bring a player in on a free transfer, the expectation around the new recruit is generally low.

Yet, back in 2018, Teemu Pukki fell into all those categories, but it didn’t put Norwich City off as they brought him to Carrow Road in what is undoubtedly one of their best signings in their recent history.

Teemu Pukki’s journey to Norwich City

The Finnish international was always someone who had talent, which is why Sevilla signed him as a teenager, before he returned to his home country.

More adventures abroad would follow, with Pukki joining Schalke and Celtic, but he struggled to truly convince for those two clubs.

Pukki would start to deliver on his potential with Brondby, as he scored regularly in Denmark, but it was his switch to Norfolk that truly elevated the striker to another level.

Teemu Pukki becomes Norwich City legend

It didn’t take the forward long to settle into English football, as he managed 29 goals for Daniel Farke’s side as they won the Championship in his first year.

Whilst the next few years would be frustrating for the Canaries, as they would yo-yo between the top two divisions, there was a constant - Pukki scored goals.

He managed to hit 11 goals in the two Premier League seasons he played, which is a very respectable return considering Norwich’s struggles. Sandwiched in between, Pukki’s 26 goals once again helped Farke’s side to a Championship title.

The ex-HJK man didn’t maintain his incredibly high standards in the final season, but he still managed double figures before moving to Minnesota United for a new challenge in his career.

It wasn’t just the goals that made Pukki such a firm favourite at Carrow Road, as he brought so much more to the team with his overall play.

At his best, Pukki was a complete striker. He was someone who would link play, he could play with his back to goal, and he showed real composure in front of goal.

Furthermore, the 34-year-old remained loyal to the Canaries, as it was reported that the likes of Wolves, Leeds and Aston Villa were all ready to take him back to the top-flight at different times.

Yet, Pukki valued what he had at Norwich, and that support from the fans no doubt played a part in convincing him to remain with the club, and that loyalty is appreciated.

Norwich City searching for the next Teemu Pukki

In total, Pukki’s time at Norwich ended with 88 goals and 29 assists in 210 appearances, which highlights just how important he was.

It’s hard to envisage that Farke or the recruitment team thought that was possible when he arrived through the door all those years ago, but his hard work made it happen.

Not only did Pukki provide many moments of joy in a Norwich shirt in that period, but he has left a legacy that will mean he is always welcome at Carrow Road - and the benchmark for any new emerging strikers.

The challenge for Johannes Hoff Thorup is to bring success to the club after his appointment, and the new boss will be desperately hoping he can land a number nine who can replicate what Pukki did in the yellow shirt.