The Finnish forward struggled for games and goals at Celtic under Neil Lennon but has found them much easier to come by with Brondby.
With 31 goals in his final season at Celtic, Gary Hooper’s move to Norwich City in 2013 was always going to leave a gaping hole in Neil Lennon’s forward line.
One that Teemu Pukki, for all his efforts, did not come anywhere close to filling. Signing for a hefty £3 million from Bundesliga giants Schalke, as reported by the Daily Mail, memories of the Finnish striker in Celtic colours are fleeting. Though maybe that’s for the best.
Pukki spent just one season in Scotland before returning to Scandinavia with Danish outfit Brondby, initially on loan and then on a cut-price permanent deal the following summer. Netting just seven times in 32 games in all competitions, the forward admitted that the speed and physicality of the Scottish game caught him by surprise, the Daily Record reports.
Though that will be nothing compared to the look of shock on Celtic fans’ faces when they see his scoring record for Brondby in 2016/17.
In total, his tally reads 22 in 32 in both domestic competition and Europa League fixtures, making this the most prolific season of his career by far.
A stunning hat-trick in the Europa League qualifiers against Bundesliga high-flyers Hertha Berlin, who beat Borussia Dortmund at the weekend just for the record, remains arguably the most impressive performance of his professional career.
Although, with FC Copenhagen 12 points clear at the top of the Superliga, Pukki appears extremely unlikely to end up toasting a season of great individual achievement with a collective crown.
Nonetheless, it appears that the 26-year-old has found his level. The critics may scoff at the quality of Scottish football but, as Pukki will attest, it’s not as straightforward as it seems, even for a Celtic striker.
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