Exeter City sign Finnish goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo on loan from Aston Villa
Viljami Sinisalo Credit: Exeter City
Exeter City has announced the signing of Finland international goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo on loan from Premier League side Aston Villa.
The young talent, 21, will stay with the Grecians for the entire 2023/24 season, marking him as the club's sixth addition this summer.
Sinisalo, a Helsinki native, kicked off his football journey with Hyvinkään Palloseura. He further developed his skills with HJK and Honka, and subsequently joined Espoo, where he made his league debut at a remarkably early age of 15. Aston Villa soon spotted his talent and brought him onboard.
After stints with Aston Villa's under-18 and under-23 sides, Sinisalo moved north to Ayr United in September 2020. He clocked in 22 appearances for the Scottish team before a brief spell with Burton Albion in League One last summer, playing four matches before his recall by Aston Villa in January 2023.
On the international front, Sinisalo made his national team debut in a friendly match against Estonia after representing his country at the under-17, under-19, and under-21 levels.
Expressing his excitement about the new signing, Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell said, "Vil has been with us for a few weeks now and he's so eager to get going. He cancelled his holiday to come down after international duty. He turned up at 6am on his first day full of energy and excitement."
Highlighting Sinisalo's experience, Caldwell added, "He comes with experience of league football at this level, as well as in Scotland and Finland, and he's played for his national team, so we are really excited to have him. He's ready, he's trained and he's up to speed and he already has a feel for the club."
