Joakim Latonen
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 24 February 1998 | ||
| Place of birth | Kaarina, Finland[1] | ||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | IF Gnistan | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2014 | KaaPo | ||
| 2015–2017 | TPS | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2021 | TPS | 81 | (15) |
| 2018 | → SalPa (loan) | 8 | (6) |
| 2022 | IFK Mariehamn | 20 | (2) |
| 2023– | Gnistan | 58 | (30) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 October 2024 | |||
Joakim Latonen (born 24 February 1998) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays for Veikkausliiga club Gnistan, as an attacking midfielder.[3]
Club career
[edit]Early career
[edit]Latonen started to play football in a youth team of Kaarinan Pojat (KaaPo) in Kaarina.[4][5][6]
Turun Palloseura
[edit]Latonen joined the youth sector of Turun Palloseura (TPS) in the neighbouring town of Turku in 2015. He made his senior debut with TPS first team in Veikkausliiga in 2018. During the season, he occasionally represented the associate farm club Salon Palloilijat (SalPa), playing in third-tier Kakkonen.[7]
He spent four seasons with TPS, alternately in Veikkausliiga and second-tier Ykkönen, before his departure was announced in December 2021.[8][9]
IFK Mariehamn
[edit]For the 2022 season, he signed a one-year contract with IFK Mariehamn in Veikkausliiga.[10]
IF Gnistan
[edit]On 31 January 2023, Latonen signed with IF Gnistan in the second-tier Ykkönen.[11] He was named the Ykkönen Player of the Month in September and October 2023.[12] At the end of the season, Latonen won the Golden Boot as the top scorer in Ykkönen, and Gnistan were promoted to Veikkausliiga via supplemental process.[13] Latonen was also named the Best Player and the Best Forward in Ykkönen.[14]
On 2 January 2024, he renewed his contract with Gnistan, signing a one-year deal for the 2024 season.[15] On 24 February 2024, Latonen scored a hat-trick in a 5–2 Finnish League Cup win against EIF.[16] On 6 April 2024, Latonen scored the first-ever goal for Gnistan in Veikkausliiga, in the opening match of the 2024 season, an equalizer from penalty spot against Inter Turku. Gnistan eventually won the game 2–1.[17] On 13 April 2024, Latonen scored his first hat-trick in Veikkausliiga, in a 6–4 away win against Ilves.[18][19]
Career statistics
[edit]- As of 26 October 2024[2]
| Club | Season | League | Cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| TPS | 2018 | Veikkausliiga | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 0 | ||
| 2019 | Ykkönen | 25 | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 29 | 4 | |||
| 2020 | Veikkausliiga | 20 | 1 | 7 | 2 | — | — | 27 | 3 | |||
| 2021 | Ykkönen | 25 | 11 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 28 | 12 | |||
| Total | 81 | 15 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 19 | ||
| SalPa (loan) | 2018 | Kakkonen | 8 | 6 | — | — | — | 8 | 6 | |||
| IFK Mariehamn | 2022 | Veikkausliiga | 20 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 27 | 3 | |
| Gnistan | 2023 | Ykkönen | 29 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | 34 | 20 | |
| 2024 | Veikkausliiga | 29 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | — | 34 | 14 | ||
| Total | 58 | 30 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 34 | ||
| Career total | 167 | 53 | 24 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 201 | 61 | ||
- ^ Includes Suomen Cup
- ^ Includes Finnish League Cup and Ykkönen Cup
Honours
[edit]Turun Palloseura
IF Gnistan
Individual
- Ykkönen: Player of the Year 2023[14]
- Ykkönen: Forward of the Year 2023[14]
- Ykkönen Player of the Month: September 2023, October 2023[12]
References
[edit]- ^ JOAKIM LATOSEN URA JATKUU IFK MARIEHAMNISSA, fctps.fi, 15 December 2021
- ^ a b c d Joakim Latonen at Soccerway. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
- ^ Joakim Latonen, worldfootball
- ^ Tulospalvelu Palloliitto, J.Latonen, Finnish FA/ Palloliitto
- ^ Joakim Latonen teki jatkosopimuksen TPS:n kanssa, aamuset.fi, 22 January 2020
- ^ Tuskallisen hidas kasvutarina, Helsingin Sanomat, Ari Virtanen, 5 April 2024
- ^ Aurinko, samettinen nurmi ja Joakim Latonen – SalPa murskasi BK-46:n, Salon Seudun Sanomat, Juha Tuuna, 10 May 2018
- ^ TPS:n viime kauden paras maalintekijä siirtyy liigaseuraan, Turun Sanomat, 15 December 2021
- ^ TPS:n kausi päättyi pahaan pettymykseen – lue arviot joukkueen jokaisesta pelaajasta, Turun Sanomat, 23 October 2021
- ^ "Offensiv kraft från TPS till IFK Mariehamn" (in Swedish). IFK Mariehamn. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ "JOAKIM LATONEN VAHVISTAA GNISTANIN KESKIKENTTÄÄ" [JOAKIM LATONEN STRENGTHENS GNISTAN'S MIDFIELD] (in Finnish). IF Gnistan. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ^ a b Joakim Latonen valittiin jälleen Ykkösen kuukauden pelaajaksi, Finnish FA/ Palloliitto, 28 October 2023
- ^ Helsinkiläinen lähiöseura hakee paikkaa Veikkausliigasta: ”Täyttää kriteerit”, Helsingin Sanomat, Jaakko Tiira, 11 November 2023
- ^ a b c Captain's Ball 2023 Kaj Natrille – Katso kaikki palkitut, Veikkausliiga, 1 December 2023
- ^ JOAKIM LATONEN JATKOSOPIMUKSEEN GNISTANIN KANSSA, gnistan.fi, 2 January 2024
- ^ "Pelasimme hyvän ottelun" - Gnistan karkasi EIF:lta jo avausjaksolla, veikkausliiga.com, 24 February 2024
- ^ Gnistan ryminällä Veikkausliigaan! 100-vuotias seura kaatoi heti yhden ennakkosuosikeista, mtvuutiset.fi, MTV Oy, 6 April 2024
- ^ Ilves – Gnistan, veikkausliiga.com
- ^ Joakim Latonen sai kuulla, että floppaa liigassa aina – kuinka kaikki kääntyi Gnistanissa? ”En ole mikään buddha”, Yle, 28 April 2024