Axel Vidjeskog

Axel Vidjeskog
Vidjeskog with Finland U21 in 2022
Personal information
Date of birth (2001-04-14) 14 April 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth Kronoby, Finland
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 KuPS
Number 26
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2020 JBK 11 (1)
2017–2020 Jaro 35 (6)
2021 KuFu-98 6 (6)
2021– KuPS 73 (10)
2022 → Ilves (loan) 10 (1)
International career‡
2017 Finland U16 4 (0)
2017 Finland U17 3 (0)
2019 Finland U18 3 (0)
2022 Finland U21 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 October 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 June 2022

Axel Vidjeskog (born 14 April 2001) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for KuPS in the Veikkausliiga.[1][2][3]

Club career

Vidjeskog began to play football in the youth program of FF Jaro. He started his senior career in 2017, playing for Jaro first team in the second-tier Ykkönen, and for the reserve team Jakobstads BK in the third-tier Kakkonen.

For the 2021 season, Vidjeskog joined a Veikkausliiga club Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS). At the start of the 2022 season, he was loaned out to fellow Veikkausliiga side Ilves. He returned to KuPS in July, after his loan deal expired.[4][5] On 13 November 2023, he extended his contract with KuPS until the end of 2024.[6] Widjeskog and KuPS won the 2024 Finnish Cup and the Finnish Championship title, completing the club's first-ever double.

Personal life

Vidjeskog is a Swedish-speaking Finn. Two of his brothers are also professional footballers. The younger brother Isak Vidjeskog plays for Varbergs BoIS, and the older Adam Vidjeskog plays for Jaro.[7] Their father Niklas is a head coach of Jaro.[8]

Career statistics

As of 19 October 2024.[9]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season Division League Cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Jakobstads BK 2017 Kakkonen 2 0 – – – 2 0
2018 Kakkonen 4 1 – – – 4 1
2019 Kakkonen 2 0 – – – 2 0
2020 Kakkonen 3 0 – – – 3 0
Total 11 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 1
Jaro 2017 Ykkönen 3 0 – – – 3 0
2018 Ykkönen 3 0 1 0 – – 4 0
2019 Ykkönen 20 4 2 0 – – 22 4
2020 Ykkönen 9 2 5 0 – – 14 2
Total 35 7 8 0 0 0 0 0 43 7
KuFu-98 2021 Kakkonen 6 6 – – – 6 6
KuPS 2021 Veikkausliiga 16 1 4 0 – 4[c] 0 24 1
2022 Veikkausliiga 9 1 0 0 3 0 1[c] 0 13 1
2023 Veikkausliiga 22 4 2 0 5 0 2[c] 1 31 5
2024 Veikkausliiga 26 4 4 1 7 4 4[c] 1 41 10
Total 73 10 10 1 15 4 11 3 109 17
Ilves (loan) 2022 Veikkausliiga 10 1 – – – 10 1
Career total 135 25 18 1 15 4 11 3 179 32
  1. ^ Includes Suomen Cup
  2. ^ Includes Finnish League Cup
  3. ^ a b c d Includes UEFA Conference League

Honours

KuPS

References

  1. ^ Axel Vidjeskog at Soccerway. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  2. ^ "Axel Vidjeskog i landslaget". Österbottens Tidning. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  3. ^ "Höst med fotbollsdramatik att vänta: Axel Vidjeskog låg bakom målen då KuPS behöll närkontakten med HJK – ruskigt formstarka VPS går för brons". Yle. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  4. ^ "Axel Vidjeskog palaa KuPS:n riveihin - laina Ilvekseen päättyi". Veikkausliiga. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  5. ^ "Axel Vidjeskog tillbaka i KuPS: "Ilves ville jag skulle stanna"". Vasabladet. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  6. ^ AXU JATKAA KUOPIOSSA!, kups.fi, 13 November 2023
  7. ^ Talangflykten utomlands, den ihållande trenden i Fotbollsfinland: Instängt liv i Portugal eller Italien skrämde Isak Vidjeskog – första tiden i trygga Sverige blev ändå en chock, Svenska Yle, 12 May 2022
  8. ^ Tässä on FF Jaron uusi päävalmentaja – Tuttu nimi aiemmilta vuosilta, Pietarsaaren Sanomat, 4 November 2023
  9. ^ Axel Vidjeskog stats, Finnish FA
  10. ^ Kuopio villiintyi KuPSin mestaruudesta – Eini ilmestyi juhlahumuun, Yle, 19 October 2024
  11. ^ KuPS nousi takaa ohi Suomen Cupin voittoon – Petteri Pennanen ratkaisi pelin upealla laukauksella, Yle, 21 September 2024