Mikael Forssell
| Date of birth | 15 March 1981 |
| Place of birth | Steinfurt, Germany |
| Nationality | Finnish |
| Weight | 80 kg |
| Height | 1.85 m |
| Position | Forward |
The classy Chelsea striker spent the whole of 2000-01 on loan at Crystal Palace as he continued with his football education.
Although in and out of the Eagles starting line-up in the first few months of the campaign, he made himself an automatic choice by scoring 11 goals in a run of 13 matches and made a significant contribution to Palace's run to the Worthington Cup semi-final.
He showed excellent ball control and looked particularly impressive when receiving through balls to feet.
Mikael also broke through to become a regular member of the Finland international squad.
Mikael spent the 2003-04 season on loan at Birmingham City, a deal that was extended for the 2004-05 campaign in April 2004.
He made the permanent move to the Blues in June 2005 with a three-year contract.
Mikael joined Leeds United in September 2011 with a one-year contract.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| HJK Helsinki | 01 Apr 1997 | 18 Dec 1998 | |
| Chelsea | 18 Dec 1998 | 10 Jun 2005 | |
| Crystal Palace | 23 Feb 2000 | 08 May 2000 | L |
| Crystal Palace | 27 Jul 2000 | 07 May 2001 | L |
| Borussia Monchengladbach | 31 Jan 2003 | 31 May 2003 | L |
| Birmingham City | 28 Aug 2003 | 06 Jan 2005 | L |
| Birmingham City | 10 Jun 2005 | 30 Jun 2008 | |
| Hannover 96 | 01 Jul 2008 | 30 Jun 2011 | |
| Leeds United | 08 Sep 2011 | 30 Jun 2012 | |
| HJK Helsinki | 29 Oct 2012 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-99 | Chelsea | FA Cup | 1 | 2 |
2 |
||
| 1998-99 | Chelsea | Premier League | 4 | 6 |
1 |
||
| 1999-00 | Chelsea | League Cup | 1 |
1
|
|||
| 1999-00 | Chelsea | UEFA Champions League | 1 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Crystal Palace | FA Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2000-01 | Crystal Palace | League Cup | 8 | 2 |
|||
| 2000-01 | Crystal Palace | League Division 1 | 31 | 8 |
13 |
||
| 2001-02 | Chelsea | FA Cup | 2 | 4 |
3 |
||
| 2001-02 | Chelsea | League Cup | 4 |
2 |
|||
| 2001-02 | Chelsea | Premier League | 2 | 20 |
4 |
1
|
|
| 2001-02 | Chelsea | UEFA Cup | 3 |
||||
| 2002-03 | Borussia Monchengladbach | Bundesliga | 16 | 7 |
|||
| 2003-04 | Birmingham City | FA Cup | 3 | 1 |
2 |
||
| 2003-04 | Birmingham City | League Cup | 1 |
||||
| 2003-04 | Birmingham City | Premier League | 32 | 17 |
1
|
||
| 2003-04 | Chelsea | UEFA Champions League | 1 | ||||
| 2004-05 | Birmingham City | Premier League | 4 | ||||
| 2004-05 | Chelsea | Premier League | 1 |
||||
| 2004-05 | Chelsea | UEFA Champions League | 1 |
||||
| 2005-06 | Birmingham City | FA Cup | 4 | 1 |
3 |
||
| 2005-06 | Birmingham City | League Cup | 2 | 1 |
2 |
||
| 2005-06 | Birmingham City | Premier League | 10 | 17 |
3 |
1
|
|
| 2006-07 | Birmingham City | League Championship | 3 | 5 |
1 |
||
| 2006-07 | Birmingham City | League Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2007-08 | Birmingham City | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2007-08 | Birmingham City | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2007-08 | Birmingham City | Premier League | 21 | 9 |
9 |
||
| 2011-12 | Leeds United | FA Cup | 1 |
||||
| 2011-12 | Leeds United | League Championship | 1 | 14 |
|||
| 2011-12 | Leeds United | League Cup | 1 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Aug 2000 | Blackburn Rovers v Crystal Palace | L | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 20 Aug 2000 | Crystal Palace v Queens Park Rangers | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 23 Aug 2000 | Crystal Palace v Cardiff City | W | 2-1 | League Cup | 1st round 1st leg |
| 26 Aug 2000 | Huddersfield Town v Crystal Palace | W | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 28 Aug 2000 | Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest | L | 2-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 05 Sep 2000 | Cardiff City v Crystal Palace | D |
0-0 Agg: 1-2 |
League Cup | 1st round 2nd leg |
| 09 Sep 2000 | Crystal Palace v Burnley | L | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 12 Sep 2000 | Crystal Palace v Barnsley | W | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 19 Sep 2000 | Burnley v Crystal Palace | D | 2-2 | League Cup | 2nd round 1st leg |
| 23 Sep 2000 | Crystal Palace v Sheffield United | L | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 26 Sep 2000 | Crystal Palace v Burnley | D |
1-1 Agg: 3-3 |
League Cup | 2nd round 2nd leg |
| 30 Sep 2000 | Preston North End v Crystal Palace | L | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 14 Oct 2000 | Birmingham City v Crystal Palace | L | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 18 Oct 2000 | Fulham v Crystal Palace | L | 3-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 21 Oct 2000 | Crystal Palace v Portsmouth | L | 2-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 24 Oct 2000 | Crystal Palace v Grimsby Town | L | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 28 Oct 2000 | Bolton Wanderers v Crystal Palace | D | 3-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 25 Nov 2000 | Crystal Palace v Stockport County | D | 2-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 28 Nov 2000 | Crystal Palace v Tranmere Rovers | W | 0-0 (6-5) | League Cup | 4th round |
| 02 Dec 2000 | Grimsby Town v Crystal Palace | D | 2-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 05 Dec 2000 | Crystal Palace v Wimbledon | W | 3-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 09 Dec 2000 | Crystal Palace v Watford | W | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 16 Dec 2000 | Crewe Alexandra v Crystal Palace | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 19 Dec 2000 | Crystal Palace v Sunderland | W | 2-1 | League Cup | Quarter-final |
| 22 Dec 2000 | Crystal Palace v Blackburn Rovers | L | 2-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 26 Dec 2000 | Gillingham v Crystal Palace | L | 4-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 30 Dec 2000 | Queens Park Rangers v Crystal Palace | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 06 Jan 2001 | Sunderland v Crystal Palace | D | 0-0 | FA Cup | 3rd round |
| 10 Jan 2001 | Crystal Palace v Liverpool | W | 2-1 | League Cup | Semi-final 1st leg |
| 14 Jan 2001 | Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace | W | 0-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 17 Jan 2001 | Crystal Palace v Sunderland | L | 2-4 | FA Cup | 3rd round replay |
| 20 Jan 2001 | Crystal Palace v Gillingham | D | 2-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 24 Jan 2001 | Liverpool v Crystal Palace | L |
5-0 Agg: 6-2 |
League Cup | Semi-final 2nd leg |
| 03 Feb 2001 | Crystal Palace v West Bromwich Albion | D | 2-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 10 Feb 2001 | Burnley v Crystal Palace | W | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 17 Feb 2001 | Crystal Palace v Norwich City | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 20 Feb 2001 | Barnsley v Crystal Palace | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 24 Feb 2001 | Sheffield United v Crystal Palace | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 03 Mar 2001 | Crystal Palace v Preston North End | L | 0-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 06 Mar 2001 | Crystal Palace v Birmingham City | L | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 10 Mar 2001 | Wimbledon v Crystal Palace | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 17 Mar 2001 | Crystal Palace v Fulham | L | 0-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 31 Mar 2001 | Crystal Palace v Crewe Alexandra | W | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 03 Apr 2001 | Crystal Palace v Huddersfield Town | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 07 Apr 2001 | Watford v Crystal Palace | D | 2-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 14 Apr 2001 | Sheffield Wednesday v Crystal Palace | L | 4-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 16 Apr 2001 | Crystal Palace v Bolton Wanderers | L | 0-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 02 May 2001 | Portsmouth v Crystal Palace | W | 2-4 | League Division 1 | |
| 06 May 2001 | Stockport County v Crystal Palace | W | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-99 | Finland | UEFA European Championship | 1 |
||||
| 1998-99 | Finland | UEFA Under-21 | 2 | 2 |
1 |
||
| 1998-99 | Finland | Under-21 | 1 |
||||
| 1999-00 | Finland | International Friendly | 2 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Finland | UEFA Under-18 | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1999-00 | Finland | UEFA Under-21 | 2 | 2 |
|||
| 2000-01 | Finland | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 2 |
2 |
||
| 2000-01 | Finland | International Friendly | 5 | 1 |
|||
| 2000-01 | Finland | UEFA Under-18 | 2 | 1 |
1
|
||
| 2000-01 | Finland | UEFA Under-21 | 1 | 2 |
|||
| 2000-01 | Finland | Under-19 | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2000-01 | Finland | World Youth Cup Under-20 | 3 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Finland | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 2 |
|||
| 2001-02 | Finland | International Friendly | 3 | 2 |
|||
| 2002-03 | Finland | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 2002-03 | Finland | UEFA European Championship | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 2003-04 | Finland | International Friendly | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 2003-04 | Finland | UEFA European Championship | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 2004-05 | Finland | FIFA World Cup | 2 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 2004-05 | Finland | International Friendly | 1 |
||||
| 2005-06 | Finland | Cyprus International Tournament | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2005-06 | Finland | FIFA World Cup | 4 | 1 |
3 |
||
| 2005-06 | Finland | International Friendly | 1 |
||||
| 2006-07 | Finland | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 2006-07 | Finland | UEFA European Championship | 2 | 4 |
|||
| 2007-08 | Finland | Cyprus International Tournament | 1 | ||||
| 2007-08 | Finland | International Friendly | 3 | ||||
| 2007-08 | Finland | UEFA European Championship | 2 | 2 |
1 |
1
|
|
| 2008-09 | Finland | FIFA World Cup | 6 | 2 |
|||
| 2008-09 | Finland | International Friendly | 3 | ||||
| 2009-10 | Finland | International Friendly | 1 | 2 |
|||
| 2010-11 | Finland | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 2010-11 | Finland | UEFA European Championship | 5 | 1 |
6 |
||
| 2011-12 | Finland | International Friendly | 1 |
||||
| 2011-12 | Finland | UEFA European Championship | 3 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 2012-13 | Finland | FIFA World Cup | 1 |
||||
| 2012-13 | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Aug 1998 | Slovakia v Finland | L | 3-2 | U21 | |
| 04 Sep 1998 | Finland v Moldova | W | 1-0 | UEFA U21 | Group 3 |
| 09 Oct 1998 | Northern Ireland v Finland | D | 1-1 | UEFA U21 | Group 3 |
| 13 Oct 1998 | Turkey v Finland | D | 1-1 | UEFA U21 | Group 3 |
| 30 Mar 1999 | Germany v Finland | L | 2-0 | UEFA U21 | Group 3 |
| 09 Jun 1999 | Moldova v Finland | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 3 |
| 03 Sep 1999 | Finland v Germany | W | 3-1 | UEFA U21 | Group 3 |
| 08 Oct 1999 | Finland v Northern Ireland | W | 2-1 | UEFA U21 | Group 3 |
| 29 Mar 2000 | Wales v Finland | W | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 26 Apr 2000 | Poland v Finland | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 10 May 2000 | Finland v Slovakia | W | 2-1 (5-4) | UEFA U18 | 2nd round group 3 |
| 07 Jul 2000 | Finland v Lithuania | W | 3-0 | U19 | |
| 17 Jul 2000 | France v Finland | W | 1-2 | UEFA U21 | Final round group B |
| 19 Jul 2000 | Russia v Finland | D | 1-1 | UEFA U18 | Final round group B |
| 21 Jul 2000 | Finland v Czech Republic | L | 2-3 | UEFA U18 | Group B |
| 16 Aug 2000 | Finland v Norway | W | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Sep 2000 | Finland v Albania | W | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 9 |
| 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 |
| 15 Nov 2000 | Republic of Ireland v Finland | L | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 28 Feb 2001 | Luxembourg v Finland | W | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 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 |
| 17 Jun 2001 | Argentina v Finland | L | 2-0 | World Youth Cup Under-20 | Group A |
| 20 Jun 2001 | Jamaica v Finland | W | 0-1 | World Youth Cup Under-20 | Group A |
| 23 Jun 2001 | Finland v Egypt | L | 1-2 | World Youth Cup Under-20 | Group A |
| 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 |
| 20 Mar 2002 | Finland v Korea Republic | L | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 27 Mar 2002 | Portugal v Finland | W | 1-4 | International Friendly | |
| 12 Feb 2003 | Northern Ireland v Finland | W | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 29 Mar 2003 | Italy v Finland | L | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 9 |
| 30 Apr 2003 | Finland v Iceland | W | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 07 Jun 2003 | Finland v Serbia and Montenegro | W | 3-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 9 |
| 11 Jun 2003 | Finland v Italy | L | 0-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 9 |
| 20 Aug 2003 | Denmark v Finland | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 06 Sep 2003 | Azerbaijan v Finland | W | 1-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 9 |
| 10 Sep 2003 | Wales v Finland | D | 1-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 9 |
| 11 Oct 2003 | Finland v Canada | W | 3-2 | International Friendly | |
| 28 May 2004 | Finland v Sweden | L | 1-3 | International Friendly | |
| 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 |
| 02 Jun 2005 | Finland v Denmark | L | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 08 Jun 2005 | Finland v Netherlands | L | 0-4 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 1 |
| 17 Aug 2005 | North Macedonia v Finland | W | 0-3 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 1 |
| 03 Sep 2005 | Andorra v Finland | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 1 |
| 07 Sep 2005 | Finland v North Macedonia | W | 5-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 1 |
| 08 Oct 2005 | Finland v Romania | L | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 1 |
| 12 Oct 2005 | Finland v Czech Republic | L | 0-3 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 1 |
| 01 Mar 2006 | Finland v Belarus | D | 2-2 | CYPRUS INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT | |
| 25 May 2006 | Sweden v Finland | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 16 Aug 2006 | Finland v Northern Ireland | L | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Sep 2006 | Poland v Finland | W | 1-3 | UEFA European Championship | Group A |
| 07 Oct 2006 | Armenia v Finland | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group A |
| 11 Oct 2006 | Kazakhstan v Finland | W | 0-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group A |
| 28 Mar 2007 | Azerbaijan v Finland | L | 1-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group A |
| 02 Jun 2007 | Finland v Serbia | L | 0-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group A |
| 06 Jun 2007 | Finland v Belgium | W | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group A |
| 08 Sep 2007 | Serbia v Finland | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group A |
| 12 Sep 2007 | Finland v Poland | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group A |
| 17 Nov 2007 | Finland v Azerbaijan | W | 2-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group A |
| 21 Nov 2007 | Portugal v Finland | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group A |
| 06 Feb 2008 | Greece v Finland | L | 2-1 | Cyprus International Tournament | |
| 26 Mar 2008 | Bulgaria v Finland | L | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 29 May 2008 | Finland v Turkey | L | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Jun 2008 | Finland v Belarus | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 20 Aug 2008 | Finland v Israel | W | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 10 Sep 2008 | Finland v Germany | D | 3-3 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 4 |
| 11 Oct 2008 | Finland v Azerbaijan | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 4 |
| 15 Oct 2008 | Russia v Finland | L | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 4 |
| 11 Feb 2009 | Portugal v Finland | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 28 Mar 2009 | Wales v Finland | W | 0-2 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 4 |
| 01 Apr 2009 | Norway v Finland | L | 3-2 | International Friendly | |
| 06 Jun 2009 | Finland v Liechtenstein | W | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 4 |
| 10 Jun 2009 | Finland v Russia | L | 0-3 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 4 |
| 12 Aug 2009 | Sweden v Finland | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 21 May 2010 | Estonia v Finland | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 29 May 2010 | Poland v Finland | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 11 Aug 2010 | Finland v Belgium | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Sep 2010 | Moldova v Finland | L | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 07 Sep 2010 | Netherlands v Finland | L | 2-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 12 Oct 2010 | Finland v Hungary | L | 1-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 17 Nov 2010 | Finland v San Marino | W | 8-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 09 Feb 2011 | Belgium v Finland | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 29 Mar 2011 | Portugal v Finland | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Jun 2011 | San Marino v Finland | W | 0-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 07 Jun 2011 | Sweden v Finland | L | 5-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 02 Sep 2011 | Finland v Moldova | W | 4-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 06 Sep 2011 | Finland v Netherlands | L | 0-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 07 Oct 2011 | Finland v Sweden | L | 1-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 11 Oct 2011 | Hungary v Finland | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group E |
| 15 Nov 2011 | Denmark v Finland | L | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 06 Feb 2013 | Israel v Finland | L | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 07 Jun 2013 | Finland v Belarus | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group I |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.