Niklas Moisander
Moisander with AZ in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Niklas Moisander | ||
| Date of birth | 29 September 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Turku, Finland | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Playing position | Centre back | ||
| Club information | |||
|
Current team
|
Werder Bremen | ||
| Number | 18 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–2002 | TPS | ||
| 2003–2004 | Ajax | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2002–2003 | TPS | 17 | (0) |
| 2003–2006 | Ajax | 0 | (0) |
| 2006–2008 | PEC Zwolle | 71 | (5) |
| 2008–2012 | AZ | 111 | (3) |
| 2012–2015 | Ajax | 77 | (5) |
| 2015–2016 | Sampdoria | 22 | (0) |
| 2016– | Werder Bremen | 16 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2000 | Finland U15 | 3 | (1) |
| 2001 | Finland U16 | 12 | (0) |
| 2001–2002 | Finland U17 | 16 | (0) |
| 2002 | Finland U18 | 2 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | Finland U19 | 3 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | Finland U21 | 8 | (1) |
| 2008– | Finland | 55 | (2) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 04 February 2017 (UTC). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 9 October 2016 (UTC) |
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Niklas Moisander (born 29 September 1985) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a centre back for German club Werder Bremen and for the Finland national team. Moisander was born in Turku, where he played for the local TPS youth team before moving to Ajax's junior organisation. He is the twin brother of goalkeeper Henrik Moisander, and is the current captain of the national team of Finland.
Moisander made his international debut for Finland in May 2008, at age 22. He was voted the Finnish Footballer of the Year in both 2012 and 2013.
Moisander started his football career together with his twin brother Henrik, both joining local TPS from their home town of Turku in 2001. A year later, he made his debut in the Veikkausliiga, the premier division of Football in Finland, under then manager Mika Laurikainen. He was selected in the starting lineup on 15 May 2003 in a regular season's fixture against cross town rivals Inter Turku. He played the full 90 minutes in the 0–2 away win in his first Turku derby match. He went on to make 17 appearances for TPS during the 2002 and 2003 seasons, becoming a regular with his home club at age 17.
On 5 June 2003, it was announced that Dutch Eredivisie club Ajax had signed the twins Henrik and Niklas to a two-year contract, binding them to the club until the summer of 2005. At Ajax, they would join the team where both Finland Internationals Jari Litmanen and Petri Pasanen were playing at the time. At first instance, the twins were to join the under-19 team of Ajax A1, competing in the 2003–04 A-junioren Eredivisie league in their first year with the club. The twins helped their side secure the club's eighth A-Juniors league title, under the tutelage and guidance of then coach Danny Blind. The following season saw Moisander and his brother compete in the Beloften Eredivisie for the team's reserve squad Jong Ajax, where they would help to win the reserve league title in their first year on the team. Signing a contract extension for an additional year by the end of the season, Ajax eventually won the KNVB Cup in conclusion. Unable to break into the first team, however, after their second term with the reserves, the twins were separated; while Henrik was dispatched to Assyriska in Sweden, Niklas remained in the Netherlands, where he signed with FC Zwolle instead.
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