Antti Niemi
| Date of birth | 31 May 1972 |
| Place of birth | Oulu |
| Nationality | Finnish |
| Weight | 88 kg |
| Height | 1.85 m |
| Position | Goalkeeper |
This experienced and reliable goalkeeping spent the early years of his professional career with HJK Helsinki before moving on to FC Copenhagen in 1995.
He subsequently joined Rangers in 1997 where he was seen as a successor to Andy Goram.
However, his career at Ibrox was hampered by injury and he then fell out of favour in the 1999-2000 campaign.
He had a loan spell at Charlton Athletic in November 1999 but failed to make a senior appearance and the following month he was sold to Heart of Midlothian.
He quickly became first choice at Tynecastle.
Antti made his full international debut for Finland against Tunisia in 1992.
He extended his contract at Southampton to June 2008 in July 2004.
Antti joined Fulham in January 2006 with a contract to June 2008 that was extended to June 2009 in July 2007.
He retired in September 2008 due to a wrist injury but returned with Portsmouth in August 2009 on a one-year contract.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| FC Haka | 01 Jul 1989 | 15 Dec 1990 | |
| HJK Helsinki | 15 Dec 1990 | 03 Jan 1996 | |
| FC Kobenhavn | 03 Jan 1996 | 26 Jun 1997 | |
| Rangers | 26 Jun 1997 | 18 Dec 1999 | |
| Charlton Athletic | 09 Nov 1999 | 08 Dec 1999 | L |
| Heart of Midlothian | 18 Dec 1999 | 27 Aug 2002 | |
| Southampton | 27 Aug 2002 | 10 Jan 2006 | |
| Fulham | 10 Jan 2006 | 03 Sep 2008 | |
| Portsmouth | 04 Aug 2009 | 30 Jun 2010 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Clean sheets | Conceded | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-00 | Heart of Midlothian | Scottish FA Cup | 3 | 1 | 6 | |||
| 1999-00 | Heart of Midlothian | Scottish League Cup | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Heart of Midlothian | Scottish Premier League | 17 | 7 | 16 | |||
| 1999-00 | Rangers | Scottish Premier League | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Heart of Midlothian | Scottish FA Cup | 5 | 1 | 3 | |||
| 2000-01 | Heart of Midlothian | Scottish League Cup | 2 | 1 | 5 | |||
| 2000-01 | Heart of Midlothian | Scottish Premier League | 36 | 10 | 48 |
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| 2000-01 | Heart of Midlothian | UEFA Cup | 4 | 2 | 3 | |||
| 2001-02 | Heart of Midlothian | Scottish FA Cup | 1 | 3 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Heart of Midlothian | Scottish League Cup | 1 | |||||
| 2001-02 | Heart of Midlothian | Scottish Premier League | 32 | 6 | 50 | |||
| 2002-03 | Heart of Midlothian | Scottish Premier League | 3 | 3 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Southampton | FA Cup | 6 | 3 | 3 | |||
| 2002-03 | Southampton | League Cup | 2 | 4 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Southampton | Premier League | 25 | 6 | 24 | |||
| 2003-04 | Southampton | FA Cup | 1 | 3 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Southampton | League Cup | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||
| 2003-04 | Southampton | Premier League | 28 | 4 | 33 |
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| 2003-04 | Southampton | UEFA Cup | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 2004-05 | Southampton | FA Cup | 2 | 2 | ||||
| 2004-05 | Southampton | League Cup | 2 | 1 | 2 | |||
| 2004-05 | Southampton | Premier League | 28 | 1 | 46 | |||
| 2005-06 | Fulham | Premier League | 9 | 4 | 8 | |||
| 2005-06 | Southampton | League Championship | 25 | 6 | 25 |
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| 2006-07 | Fulham | Premier League | 31 | 3 | 43 |
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| 2007-08 | Fulham | FA Cup | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 2007-08 | Fulham | Premier League | 22 | 1 | 37 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Clean sheets | Conceded | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-90 | Finland | A v OT | 1 | |||||
| 1989-90 | Finland | OT | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 1990-91 | Finland | OT | 1 | |||||
| 1990-91 | Finland | UEFA Under-21 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| 1991-92 | Finland | UEFA Under-21 | 1 | |||||
| 1992-93 | Finland | International Friendly | 3 | 1 | ||||
| 1992-93 | Finland | UEFA Under-21 | 5 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 1992-93 | Finland | Under-21 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 1993-94 | Finland | International Friendly | 3 | 1 | 2 | |||
| 1993-94 | Finland | UEFA Under-21 | 3 | 7 | ||||
| 1994-95 | Finland | International Friendly | 4 | 1 | 5 | |||
| 1995-96 | Finland | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
4 | |||
| 1995-96 | Finland | King`s Cup | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 1995-96 | Finland | UEFA European Championship | 1 | 3 | ||||
| 1996-97 | Finland | FIFA World Cup | 5 | 1 | 6 | |||
| 1996-97 | Finland | International Friendly | 1 | 1 |
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| 1997-98 | Finland | Cyprus Tournament | 3 | 3 | ||||
| 1997-98 | Finland | FIFA World Cup | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 1997-98 | Finland | International Friendly | 3 | 2 | ||||
| 1998-99 | Finland | International Friendly | 3 | 2 | ||||
| 1998-99 | Finland | UEFA European Championship | 6 | 9 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Finland | International Friendly | 2 | 1 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Finland | UEFA European Championship | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Finland | FIFA World Cup | 4 | 5 |
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| 2000-01 | Finland | International Friendly | 2 | 1 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Finland | Under-18 | 2 | 1 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Finland | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 2 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Finland | Four Team Tournament, Bahrain | 1 |
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| 2001-02 | Finland | International Friendly | 4 | 4 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Finland | UEFA European Championship | 3 | 6 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Finland | International Friendly | 3 | 5 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Finland | UEFA European Championship | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 2004-05 | Finland | Cyprus Tournament | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 2004-05 | Finland | FIFA World Cup | 5 | 2 | 6 | |||
| 2007-08 | Finland | International Friendly | 1 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 May 1990 | Greece v Finland | D | 2-2 | OT | |
| 28 May 1990 | Finland v Japan | D | 0-0 | A v OT | |
| 11 Sep 1990 | Finland v Portugal | L | 0-1 | UEFA U21 | Group |
| 11 Sep 1990 | Finland v Portugal | L | 0-1 | OT | |
| 26 Jun 1991 | Finland v Malta | W | 3-1 | UEFA U21 | Group |
| 13 May 1992 | Finland v Bulgaria | D | 0-0 | UEFA U21 | Group 6 |
| 25 Aug 1992 | Finland v Poland | W | 2-0 | U21 | |
| 08 Sep 1992 | Finland v Sweden | W | 1-0 | UEFA U21 | Group 6 |
| 07 Nov 1992 | Tunisia v Finland | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 14 Nov 1992 | France v Finland | W | 1-2 | UEFA U21 | Group 6 |
| 20 Jan 1993 | India v Finland | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 28 Jan 1993 | Finland v Cameroon | L | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 27 Apr 1993 | Bulgaria v Finland | L | 3-1 | UEFA U21 | Group 6 |
| 12 May 1993 | Finland v Austria | W | 2-0 | UEFA U21 | Group 6 |
| 15 Jun 1993 | Finland v Israel | W | 1-0 | UEFA U21 | Group 6 |
| 07 Sep 1993 | Finland v France | L | 0-1 | UEFA U21 | Group 6 |
| 12 Oct 1993 | Sweden v Finland | L | 4-0 | UEFA U21 | Group 6 |
| 09 Nov 1993 | Israel v Finland | L | 2-1 | UEFA U21 | Group 6 |
| 27 Jan 1994 | Qatar v Finland | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 30 Jan 1994 | Oman v Finland | W | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Jun 1994 | Finland v Spain | L | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Aug 1994 | Denmark v Finland | L | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 26 Oct 1994 | Estonia v Finland | W | 0-7 | International Friendly | |
| 30 Nov 1994 | Spain v Finland | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 16 Feb 1995 | Trinidad and Tobago v Finland | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 04 Oct 1995 | Finland v Turkey | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 15 Nov 1995 | Russia v Finland | L | 3-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 09 Feb 1996 | Thailand v Finland | L | 1-0 | KINGS CUP | |
| 29 May 1996 | France v Finland | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Jun 1996 | Finland v Turkey | W | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 14 Aug 1996 | Latvia v Finland | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 01 Sep 1996 | Hungary v Finland | L | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 06 Oct 1996 | Finland v Switzerland | L | 2-3 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 12 Feb 1997 | Turkey v Finland | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Apr 1997 | Azerbaijan v Finland | W | 1-2 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 30 Apr 1997 | Norway v Finland | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 08 Jun 1997 | Finland v Azerbaijan | W | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 06 Sep 1997 | Switzerland v Finland | W | 1-2 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 05 Feb 1998 | Cyprus v Finland | D | 1-1 | CYPRUS TOURNAMENT | Group A |
| 06 Feb 1998 | Finland v Norway | D | 0-0 | CYPRUS TOURNAMENT | Group A |
| 09 Feb 1998 | Slovakia v Finland | L | 2-0 | CYPRUS TOURNAMENT | 3rd place |
| 22 Apr 1998 | Scotland v Finland | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 27 May 1998 | Finland v Germany | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 05 Jun 1998 | Finland v France | L | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 19 Aug 1998 | Slovakia v Finland | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 05 Sep 1998 | Finland v Moldova | W | 3-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 3 |
| 10 Oct 1998 | Northern Ireland v Finland | L | 1-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 3 |
| 14 Oct 1998 | Turkey v Finland | W | 1-3 | UEFA European Championship | Group 3 |
| 10 Feb 1999 | Poland v Finland | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 31 Mar 1999 | Germany v Finland | L | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 3 |
| 28 Apr 1999 | Slovenia v Finland | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 05 Jun 1999 | Finland v Turkey | L | 2-4 | UEFA European Championship | Group 3 |
| 09 Jun 1999 | Moldova v Finland | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 3 |
| 04 Sep 1999 | Finland v Germany | L | 1-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 3 |
| 26 Apr 2000 | Poland v Finland | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Jun 2000 | Latvia v Finland | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 12 Sep 2000 | Finland v Turkey | W | 2-1 | U18 | |
| 07 Oct 2000 | Greece v Finland | L | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 9 |
| 11 Oct 2000 | Finland v England | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 9 |
| 08 Nov 2000 | Spain v Finland | L | 1-0 | U18 | |
| 24 Mar 2001 | England v Finland | L | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 9 |
| 25 Apr 2001 | Hungary v Finland | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 09 May 2001 | Estonia v Finland | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Jun 2001 | Finland v Germany | D | 2-2 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 9 |
| 15 Aug 2001 | Finland v Belgium | W | 4-1 | International Friendly | |
| 01 Sep 2001 | Albania v Finland | W | 0-2 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 9 |
| 05 Sep 2001 | Finland v Greece | W | 5-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 9 |
| 06 Oct 2001 | Germany v Finland | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 9 |
| 04 Jan 2002 | Bahrain v Finland | W | 0-2 | FOUR TEAM TOURNAMENT, BAHRAIN | |
| 27 Mar 2002 | Portugal v Finland | W | 1-4 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Apr 2002 | North Macedonia v Finland | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 22 May 2002 | Finland v Latvia | W | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 07 Sep 2002 | Finland v Wales | L | 0-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 9 |
| 12 Oct 2002 | Finland v Azerbaijan | W | 3-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 9 |
| 16 Oct 2002 | Serbia and Montenegro v Finland | L | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 9 |
| 29 Mar 2003 | Italy v Finland | L | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 9 |
| 10 Sep 2003 | Wales v Finland | D | 1-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 9 |
| 31 Mar 2004 | Malta v Finland | W | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 28 Apr 2004 | Bosnia and Herzegovina v Finland | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 28 May 2004 | Finland v Sweden | L | 1-3 | International Friendly | |
| 18 Aug 2004 | Romania v Finland | L | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 1 |
| 04 Sep 2004 | Finland v Andorra | W | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 1 |
| 08 Sep 2004 | Armenia v Finland | W | 0-2 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 1 |
| 09 Oct 2004 | Finland v Armenia | W | 3-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 1 |
| 13 Oct 2004 | Netherlands v Finland | L | 3-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 1 |
| 08 Feb 2005 | Finland v Latvia | W | 2-1 | Cyprus Tournament | Semi-final |
| 17 Oct 2007 | Finland v Spain | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.