Tuomas Haapala

Tuomas Haapala

Haapala (center) at the KuPS vs HJK at Magnum Areena, Kuopio. Finnish League Cup, 11 March 2008.
Personal information
Date of birth	(1979-04-20) 20 April 1979
Place of birth	Lahti, Finland
Height
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Tampere United
Youth career
0000–2000	Pallo-Lahti
	Lahden Reipas
	FC Kuusysi
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2000–2003	FC Lahti	108	(14)
2004–2005	MyPa	47	(3)
2005–2006	Manchester City	0	(0)
2006–2007	Sandefjord Fotball	13	(0)
2007–2009	HJK Helsinki	38	(0)
2010–	Tampere United
International career‡
2005–	Finland	4	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 8 October 2009 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 December 2009

Tuomas Haapala (born 20 April 1979 in Lahti) is a Finnish footballer who is currently playing for Tampere United in the Veikkausliiga as a defensive midfielder.

Haapala has previously played for FC Lahti (2000–03) and MyPa (2004–05) in the Finnish Veikkausliiga. He won the Finnish Cup with MyPa in 2004, and captained the club to the Finnish championship in 2005. After an excellent 2005 season, Haapala was invited for a trial with Manchester City. After two weeks at the club, manager Stuart Pearce decided to offer him a contract to the end of the 2005–06 season. However, Haapala failed to break into the first team, and made only reserve team appearances. After his long try-out in Manchester he signed for Sandefjord Fotball. In August 2007 he joined HJK Helsinki.

Haapala played his first game for the Finnish national team on 12 October 2005 against Estonia.

Honours

• Finnish championship: 2005, 2009
• Finnish Cup: 2004, 2008

External links

• Profile at HJK.fi
• Stats at Veikkausliiga.com
• Guardian Football
• Tuomas Haapala at National-Football-Teams.com