When talking about prolific goalscorers in Europe, most experts and fans tend to name the usual suspects. Names such as Mohamed Salah, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar or Kylian Mbappe, just to name a few, tend to get recognition. However, one player that doesn’t get nearly enough praise as he deserves has been tearing it up in the 2019-20 Premier League season while featuring for Norwich City.
Yes, you have guessed it. We are talking about Teemu Pukki. The Finland international has been one of the best goalscoring threats in Europe’s top leagues in the beginning of the season.
Pukki, however, had to take the long road before making it to the top of European’s football. He had previously played for Sevilla (17 appearances / three goals), Schalke 04 (47/8) and Celtic (38/9) with limited success. Everything changed when he moved from Glasgow to Denmark to play for Brondby IF.
A transfer that would change Pukki’s career for good
Playing for one of the top sides in the Denmark Super Liga made wonders for Pukki. He scored 72 goals in 164 appearances for the Danish giants. In the process, he also established a great society with Hany Mukhtar. It didn’t take long before a top side wanted to sign him, and Norwich set their sights on him ahead of the 2018/19 Championship season. Pukki moved to England and delivered positive results as soon as he arrived. The Finnish was the league’s top scorer with 29 goals, and led Norwich towards a spot in the Premier League ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.
One would have thought the former Brondby IF star would need time to adjust to the Premier League, but that hasn’t been the case. Pukki already has five goals and one assist in four EPL appearances this term, and has been virtually unstoppable by opposing defences. Just ask Newcastle United, as Pukki netted a hat-trick against them on August 17th.
An absolute menace both at club and country level
Pukki has also scored against Liverpool and Chelsea, further evidencing his ability to create havoc on opposing defences regardless of the opponent. But the talented striker has been playing at a high level on the international stage as well.
During the current international break, Pukki netted against Greece and Italy. He previously found the back of the net against Liechtenstein and Bosnia back in June this year. He has five goals in his last four international appearances, and has been one of the top scorers in the European Championship Qualifiers thus far.
Pukki might not get a lot of press, but fans all over the world are beginning to notice what this 29-year-old forward can do. And it’s time about time he gets the recognition he deserves as one of the top goalscoring threats in Europe during the past 12 months.
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