Teemu Pukki provided glowing Celtic endorsement to Viljami Sinisalo

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The Celtic Star

·11. April 2026

Teemu Pukki provided glowing Celtic endorsement to Viljami Sinisalo

Viljami Sinisalo has revealed that Teemu Pukki’s glowing endorsement played a significant role in his decision to join Celtic…

Teemu Pukki celebrates. Celtic v Hibs, 14 December 2013. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou

Pukki – a legend for the Finnish national team – previously moved to Glasgow in 2013 under Neil Lennon as a replacement for Gary Hooper.

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Teemu Pukki celebrates. Celtic v Hibs, 14 December 2013. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou

Despite making an immediate impression by scoring on his debut at Tynecastle and again in his first appearance at Celtic Park, the forward ultimately struggled to live up to his £3 million transfer fee, finishing with seven goals in 32 appearances.

However, Sinisalo has already surpassed his compatriot’s time at the club and has reflected on the conversations he held with the striker before making the move.

Speaking via Celtic FC Podcast, Sinisalo said: “He [Pukki] is one of [those]players that everyone looks forward to. When you get the team sheet of who’s in the Finland squad, you look out for Teemu Pukki. He’s the name on the back of shirts of a lot of young kids back home, I’ll tell you that – me being one of them!”

“Yeah, he’s a bit of a cult hero. I remember when we played Scotland at Hampden [friendly in 2024], and there was all this talk of me signing [for Celtic] and stuff.

“I started asking a few things about the football club, and he always spoke really nicely about Celtic and what it was like here, even though he openly said that he didn’t necessarily play his best football at that time.

“But he was always very complimentary of all the staff and the people and the club in general, so [it was]another good bit of advice before signing here.”

Finland may not traditionally be regarded as a powerhouse in international football, but Pukki cemented his place in the nation’s history by playing a pivotal role in securing qualification for their first-ever major tournament at EURO 2020.

The former Hoops striker stands as his country’s leading goalscorer of all time and is second only to former Ajax star Jari Litmanen in total international appearances.

Over the course of his career, Pukki has amassed 237 goals, including an impressive 88 during his time with Norwich City, where he became a firm fan favourite following his stint at Celtic.

Conor Spence

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