It might have been six years since Wayne Rooney last put on an England shirt but the former Manchester United man is an inspiration to one Finland international.
The Three Lions are looking to continue their winning start in the Nations League under new interim boss Lee Carsley as they host Finland at Wembley. A win over the Republic of Ireland at the weekend saw England put their Euros heartbreak behind them.
Now that they’re competing in League B of the Nations League, the Three Lions will be facing easier opponents, but one Finland star will be channeling his inner Rooney in the hope of firing his nation to a glorious upset tonight.
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Topi Keskinen, 21, made his debut for the Nordic country in their 3-0 defeat to Greece last time out, and he’s a familiar face to those in Scotland having recently signed for Aberdeen from Finnish champions HJK Helsinki.
He may have never played in England, but he’s always been a fan of the Premier League and used to follow United growing up. Three Lions supporters will be hoping his performance isn’t eye-catching tonight, but one thing that will be is his tattoo.
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(Image: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
On one of his arms, the Aberdeen winger has a picture of United legend Rooney holding a fishing rod. It’s sure to be a topic of discussion in the home dressing room at Wembley, and when asked about it in an interview with The Mirror, Keskinen revealed all.
“To be honest, it is not such a wonderful tattoo because I designed it myself. It has become a bigger deal than I thought it would, especially since I moved to Scotland,” said Keskinen. He has a love for fishing as well as Rooney so bizarrely decided to combine both in the form of a tatoo.
He continued: “I have always liked the style of British football. If I get tattoos, I want them to mean something. I was a United fan as a kid and also Rooney – and I also love fishing.”
Keskinen will have to put his love for both of them to one side tonight and focus on helping his country pull off an unlikely shock.