Naatan Skyttä inherited the valuable number 10 shirt.
Naatan Skyttä scored the opening goal of his Huuhkajat career in Auckland. Jussi Saarinen
The t-shirt of the Finnish national futsal team is already an institution.
Jari Litmanen played practically his entire career wearing it. Lit’s scoring record stood until Teemu Pukki broke it – also number 10 on his back.
Pukki took a well-deserved retirement from the national team last fall, and at the same time, the 10th jersey became available again for the next generation.
It was worn by the 23-year-old in the just ended Fifa Series tournament Naatan Skytt.
– I know history. There have been some pretty tough players. The main thing for me is that I only get to play in the national team, Skyttä said in the Palloliitto remote information.
“Great experiences”
The Kaiserslautern professional thanked the head coach Jacob Friis of honor and scored the opening goal of his A national team career against Cape Verde.
– Of course, the first finish in Huuhkaj is a wonderful feeling, of course. Leksa played well in the box and I was able to pull, Skyttä thanked the one who initiated the hit Leo Walta.
The shot from Ylöjärve was hit by the goalkeeper in the Cape Verdean net Márcio Rosan through a control company.
– Of course, we had to wait a little longer to see if the situation was offside or not. I didn’t dare vent yet.
Skytä would certainly have more international matches on his account – and probably also international goals – if Friis could have played him already last year.
However, the Dane wanted to leave the key players of the Pikkuhuhkaji outside the A national team, because they had a valuable EC final tournament ahead of them.
Now Skyttä is ready to give his all at an adult level. In Auckland he was the opener in both games.
– I am proud that I got to play in the Suomi shirt. These are great experiences. This was a good and comprehensive tournament for the team.
– The role was the same as in previous camps. No big surprises. It was nice to start both matches and get to play with good guys. It felt really good.
The sleeping giant
Naatan Skyttä has scored nine goals this season for Kaiserslautern. PDO
Kaiserslautern is one of the sleeping giants of German football. It won the Bundesliga by Michael Ballack, Andreas Brehmen, Ciriaco Sforza and a paint stick by Olaf Marschall still in the lead in the 1997–98 season, but in the current decade it has picked up speed since the triple double.
At the moment, the club is seventh in the second Bundesliga, 11 points behind the last promoted Paderborn.
In the Rhineland, there are still hopes for a rise to bright lights. However, no one objected to the Finnish star’s exotic game trip to the other side of the globe.
– I’m on good terms. Nothing more amazing happened. They knew it was a long journey.
– I hope someone there has watched this match as well. Isn’t there a message from there?
Skyttä believes he will be ready to fight for the Red Devils again on Saturday when Fortuna Düsseldorf visit the Fritz-Walter Stadium.
– Adapting here went quite well myself. A long flight is coming. You just have to drink water and try to sleep when you get there.
