The funny meaning behind Teemu Pukki's name - Norwich City fans will love this | OneFootball

In his native homeland Finland, former Norwich City striker Teemu Pukki has a peculiar meaning to his name which Canaries fans will love

Former Norwich City striker Teemu Pukki has a hilarious hidden meaning to his name — and Canaries fans couldn’t love it more.

Pukki will forever be remembered as a club hero for his five-year stay at Norwich as he gave supporters countless memories, from promotions to key goals in the Championship as well as the Premier League.

However, one thing that many Norwich fans don’t realise is that the Finnish striker’s surname comes with a hidden meaning that derives from his native homeland, and it has to be said that it is a fitting name for the man who scored 88 goals with the Norfolk outfit.

Known for his finishing abilities and his coolness in front of goal that earned him legendary status at Carrow Road, the literal meaning of his name adds another layer to his reputation.

Teemu Pukki's surname in Finnish is a fitting name for Norwich City's most prolific modern striker

If there’s a player whose surname could match his impact, it’s Teemu Pukki.

Upon his arrival in England from Danish side Brondby in 2018, Pukki's first season was outstanding and there have been few better second tier campaigns on a personal note, definitely in terms of goalscoring, as he smashed home 29 Championship goals, which fired the club to top-flight promotion and sweeping up Player of the Season awards for both the division and club.

He became an icon in just one season, and that affection only grew as time went on.

As for the striker's surname, Pukki in Finnish translates directly to "(Christmas) goat", which, over the years, has been met by Canaries fans affectionately referring to their star man as the "GOAT" which is an acronym for "Greatest Of All Time."

Considering how many Norwich fans regard him as their "GOAT" it's a coincidence that quite simply had to be played upon due to his prolific goalscoring feats.

When supporters discovered the meaning behind his surname, it's no surprise that social media comments all leaned into the “GOAT” narrative, which, on the one hand, gave a nod to his homeland, Finland, whilst also finding the funny side in the translation of his name with the modern term for greatness.

Ultimately, Pukki's time at Carrow Road backs up why the Norwich fans who love him call him the "GOAT", not just because of the 88 times he found the back of the net but also because he was part of the side who won two Championship titles, and even scored a hat-trick in the Premier League against Newcastle.

The consistency he showed for the best part of half a decade has made Pukki one of the best forwards in the club’s history, let alone the modern era.

A Norwich City icon, with an iconic name to match

For all football supporters, fans love a story and, in particular, when they can say that a player is one of their own, whether that's due to being homegrown or for their long service to the club. In Pukki’s case, as well as his performances on the pitch, his surname made him an instant hit with those Norwich fans.

The “GOAT” nickname not only became a joke, but also symbolised just how much Pukki meant to the club as a whole. Without his goalscoring prowess, you could argue that the Canaries perhaps wouldn't have reached the heights that they did without his services at the top end of the pitch.

It is evident that Pukki's goals won many a game for Norwich, and because of that, how adored he became among the fanbase.

His hard-work and die-hard nature for the badge sets him apart from many players that have worn Yellow and Green, and as a result, he achieved a close connection with the club that still lives on to this day.

The fact his surname just happened to mean "goat" only strengthened the bond between him and the fans, giving supporters a story they’ll still be laughing about and celebrating for years to come.