Minna Meriluoto

Minna Johanna Meriluoto (born 4 October 1985) is a Finnish international football goalkeeper. At club level she plays in the Naisten Liiga for HJK Helsinki.

Minna Meriluoto
Personal information
Full name Minna Johanna Meriluoto
Date of birth (1985-10-04) 4 October 1985
Place of birth Turku, Finland
Height 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 HJK Helsinki
Number 1
Youth career
TuNL
TuTo
SCR
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
 –2006 FC United (Pietarsaari)
2008 Umeå Södra FF 17 (0)
2009–2011 Hammarby IF DFF 58 (0)
2012–2013 Jitex BK 35 (0)
2014 Vittsjö 15 (0)
2015– HJK Helsinki 6 (0)
National team‡
2006– Finland 51 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23 May 2015
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 25 August 2014

Club career

Meriluoto participated in the 2005–06 UEFA Women's Cup with FC United. Ahead of the 2008 season, in November 2007, she moved to Sweden and joined Umeå Södra FF.[2] When her club were relegated at the end of that campaign, Meriluoto remained in the Damallsvenskan in signing for Hammarby IF DFF. In October 2011 Jitex BK announced that she was to play the following season with them.[3]

In December 2013 Meriluoto confirmed her departure from Jitex and signed for Damallsvenskan rivals Vittsjö GIK.[4]

Playing for Jitex in 2012

International career

Meriluoto was hosts Finland's first choice goalkeeper at the 2004 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship. She had been voted Finland's most promising female player in 2002.[5]

She made her debut for the senior Finland team on 5 February 2006; playing 90 minutes against Netherlands in Spain.[6] Meriluoto also played in one of Finland's matches at UEFA Women's Euro 2009, against Ukraine.

In June 2013 Meriluoto was named in national coach Andrée Jeglertz's Finland squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2013.[7] At the tournament, she took over goalkeeping duties from Tinja-Riikka Korpela for the final group game; a 1–1 draw with Denmark.

Personal life

Meriluoto moved to Sweden with her footballer boyfriend Jesper Törnqvist, who signed for Umeå FC.[8]

References
  1. "Minna Johanna Meriluoto" (in Finnish). OrsaSport. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
  2. Petter Maaherra (19 November 2007). "Umeå Södra värvar landslagskvinna" (in Swedish). Expressen. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
  3. Lennart Lindorsson (27 October 2011). "NY MÅLVAKT TILL JITEX" (in Swedish). Jitex BK. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  4. "Minna Meriluoto till Vittsjö" (in Swedish). Sveriges Radio. 6 December 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  5. "Minna Meriluoto". Uefa.com. UEFA. 10 September 2009. Archived from the original on 25 August 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  6. "Minna Meriluoto" (in Finnish). Suomen Palloliitto. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  7. "Jeglertz turns to youth for Finland". Uefa.com. UEFA. 28 June 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  8. BJÖRN FORSGREN. "Umeå drömmen för finska stjärnor" (in Swedish). Sommar 2008. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
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