| Ilmari Niskanen | |
| Fullname: | Ilmari Matias Niskanen[1] |
| Birth Date: | 27 October 1997 |
| Birth Place: | Kiuruvesi, Finland |
| Height: | 1.77m[2] |
| Position: | Left winger, wing back |
| Currentclub: | Exeter City |
| Clubnumber: | 14 |
| Youthclubs1: | Kiuruveden Palloilijat[3] |
| Youthyears2: | –2013 |
| Youthclubs2: | PK-37 |
| Years1: | 2013–2020 |
| Clubs1: | KuPS |
| Caps1: | 154 |
| Goals1: | 18 |
| Years2: | 2013 |
| Clubs2: | → PK-37 (loan) |
| Caps2: | 22 |
| Goals2: | 9 |
| Years3: | 2014 |
| Clubs3: | → KuFu-98 |
| Caps3: | 7 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 2014 |
| Clubs4: | → PK-37 (loan) |
| Caps4: | 1 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Years5: | 2017 |
| Clubs5: | → KuFu-98 |
| Caps5: | 1 |
| Goals5: | 1 |
| Years6: | 2020–2021 |
| Clubs6: | FC Ingolstadt |
| Caps6: | 20 |
| Goals6: | 0 |
| Years7: | 2021–2023 |
| Clubs7: | Dundee United |
| Caps7: | 53 |
| Goals7: | 2 |
| Years8: | 2023– |
| Clubs8: | Exeter City |
| Caps8: | 107 |
| Goals8: | 3 |
| Nationalteam1: | Finland U17 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2015 |
| Nationalteam2: | Finland U19 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 3 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Nationalyears3: | 2017–2018 |
| Nationalteam3: | Finland U21 |
| Nationalcaps3: | 6 |
| Nationalgoals3: | 0 |
| Nationalyears4: | 2020– |
| Nationalteam4: | Finland |
| Nationalcaps4: | 23 |
| Nationalgoals4: | 1 |
| Club-Update: | 21:45, 3 March 2026 (UTC) |
| Ntupdate: | 17 November 2024 |
Ilmari Matias Niskanen (born 27 October 1997) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a left winger and wing back for club Exeter City and the Finland national team.[4]
Born in Kiuruvesi, Niskanen spent his youth years with PK-37 in Iisalmi, before starting his professional career in 2013 in a nearby town Kuopio with Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS).[5] In the 2019 Veikkausliiga season, Niskanen helped the club to win its first Finnish championship title in 43 years.[6] He was also named the Veikkausliiga Player of the Month in August 2019 and in July 2020.
In September 2020, Niskanen signed for German club FC Ingolstadt for a transfer fee of €350,000.[7] [8]
In August 2021, Niskanen had a transfer to Scottish Premiership club Dundee United, which was initially delayed due to work permit issues,[9] before eventually completing on 20 August 2021.[10] The transfer fee was reported to be €350,000.[11]
On 15 August 2023, Niskanen signed for League One club Exeter City for an undisclosed fee.[12] On 29 April 2024, Niskanen was named the Exeter City Community Champion in the club's end of season awards.[13] On 15 May 2024, his deal was extended until June 2026.[14] He was named the Exeter City Player of the Month in October 2024.[15] At the end of the 2024–25 season, Niskanen received an award from Exeter City's supporters for his extensive interaction in the fan-zone area throughout the season.[16]
Niskanen represented Finland at under-17, under-19 and under-21 youth levels, before making his senior international debut in 2020.
On 10 September 2024, in a 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B away match against England, Niskanen was humiliated by the national team head coach Markku Kanerva, by substituting him in for the second half to a wrong position for his expertise. Later Finland conceded goals directly due to Niskanen's errors and eventually lost the game 2–0.[17] [18] [19]
On 19 February 2025, it was reported that Niskanen had been caught by English police while driving under the influence of alcohol earlier in February.[20] On 24 February, he was fined £2,885 and banned from driving for 18 months, by the Exeter Magistrates Court.[21]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| KuPS | 2013 | Veikkausliiga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2014 | Veikkausliiga | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 1 | ||||
| 2015 | Veikkausliiga | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 1 | ||||
| 2016 | Veikkausliiga | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 0 | ||||
| 2017 | Veikkausliiga | 32 | 1 | 6 | 2 | — | — | — | 38 | 3 | |||||
| 2018 | Veikkausliiga | 33 | 4 | 6 | 4 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 41 | 8 | ||||
| 2019 | Veikkausliiga | 26 | 5 | 5 | 1 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 35 | 6 | ||||
| 2020 | Veikkausliiga | 13 | 6 | 5 | 1 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 20 | 7 | ||||
| Total | 154 | 18 | 24 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 186 | 26 | |||
| PK-37 (loan) | Kakkonen | 22 | 9 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 24 | 9 | |||||
| KuFu-98 (loan) | 2014 | Kakkonen | 7 | 0 | – | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | |||||
| 2015 | Kolmonen | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |||
| PK-37 (loan) | 2014 | Kakkonen | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| KuFu-98 (loan) | 2017 | Kakkonen | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | |||||
| FC Ingolstadt | 2020–21 | 3. Liga | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 20 | 0 | ||||
| 2021–22 | 2. Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | |||
| Dundee United | 2021–22 | Scottish Premiership | 33 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 1 | |||
| 2022–23 | Scottish Premiership | 20 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 24 | 1 | |||
| 2023–24 | Scottish Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 53 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 2 | |||
| Exeter City | 2023–24 | League One | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 35 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25 | League One | 40 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 45 | 2 | |||
| 2025–26 | League One | 34 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 40 | 1 | |||
| Total | 107 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 120 | 3 | |||
| Career total | 365 | 33 | 38 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 422 | 41 | |||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | 2020 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2022 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2024 | 7 | 0 | ||
| Total | 23 | 1 | ||
Finland score listed first, score column indicates score after each Niskanen goal
KuPS
Individual
ECCT PFA Community Champion 2023–24[13]
