Topi Keskinen, the Finnish winger who helped Aberdeen win the Scottish Cup two seasons ago, has revealed that he made the decision to leave the club at the end of last season. The 23-year-old has since completed a seven-figure move to Danish side Odense, citing a need for regular playing time to progress his career and maintain his place in the Finland national team.
Why Keskinen Decided to Leave
Keskinen found himself on the fringes of the squad after Stephen Robinson replaced Jimmy Thelin as manager. Robinson adopted a safety-first approach, often using a 3-5-2 formation that did not feature wingers. Keskinen said: “I pretty much decided at the end of the season that I wanted to move on. That was the plan because I just needed to play football. I’m at that age where I want to be playing regularly.”
He added: “I like Stephen a lot but when he came in we played in a formation (3-5-2) where we didn’t really play with wingers. I had two good years at Aberdeen and it wasn’t a decision I took lightly, but it was a decision I felt I had to make. You’ve got to look at the bigger picture and I felt that moving was the right decision. I understood that it also had to be a good financial deal for Aberdeen so I am glad everything has worked out for all parties.”
Robinson's Efforts to Keep Him
Robinson fought to keep Keskinen and made it clear that once he brought in his own players, he would adopt a more attacking style. However, interest from Odense, Debrecen, and Hajduk Split grew. Odense had an inside advantage as fellow Finnish international Anssi Suhonen was already at the club. Keskinen moved to Aberdeen from HJK for £850,000 in 2024.
A Mixed Time at Aberdeen
Keskinen’s time at Aberdeen was a mix of highs and lows. The highs included lifting the Scottish Cup two seasons ago and playing in the Conference League group stages. Last season, however, was a major disappointment as the Dons struggled. Jimmy Thelin was sacked and Robinson was brought in from St Mirren to keep the team in the Premiership.
Keskinen acknowledged: “It was two-sided, basically, because the first year was quite good for me and the team – but the second year, obviously, was not what we expected.”
Instant Impact and Title Talk
Keskinen made an instant impact, scoring the winner on his League Cup debut against Queen’s Park. It was part of an unbeaten start under Thelin when there was genuine title talk. Aberdeen then couldn’t buy a win and when they eventually got going again, they claimed the final European place.
Keskinen recalled: “A lot of people, maybe outside of the players, and certainly Aberdeen fans were singing about us having a chance for the title. It was a nice experience but we knew it was a long season and to win leagues you need to compete at a very high level consistently. That was my favourite time, of course, at Aberdeen. In one match we drew at Celtic after being 2-0 down. I didn’t realise at the time what a great result that was because Celtic Park is a difficult place to go and get a result. We weren’t talking about titles but we believed we could do well. If someone told us during that run that we’re going to finish fifth, I don’t know how we would have reacted. We would have been surprised, 100 per cent.”
Scottish Cup Glory and Subsequent Struggles
Aberdeen ended that season with silverware, lifting the Scottish Cup. Keskinen was also named the Dons’ young player of the year. The Pittodrie board then gave Thelin major financial backing. He strengthened his side but they never got out of first gear. They struggled in the league and after losing to FCSB in the Europa League play-off, they got a nightmare draw in the Conference League in a group with Shakhtar Donetsk, AEK Athens, Sparta Prague, Strasbourg, Noah and AEK Larnaca.
The Dons struggled on both fronts and Thelin eventually lost his job. An SOS was sent out to bring Robinson from St Mirren. The ex-HJK player added: “The previous season had ended so well with the Scottish Cup win and a lot of people were expecting us to kick on again. So my second season was really disappointing. It was just basically disappointment after disappointment the whole season. It was a tough season. We were unlucky with the draw in Europe. If we had drawn smaller or worse teams then we would have won games and built the confidence – but we didn’t and things went the other way. Our fortunes never really picked up then Jimmy lost his job, which was also a disappointment. It was a tough period. When you were fighting to avoid relegation it’s not nice. I was just relieved we avoided relegation with a few games to spare because we should never have put ourselves and the club in that position.”
Reflecting on His Form
Keskinen’s form was much like Aberdeen’s during his time at Pittodrie – up and down. At times the Red Army was looking for more. He said: “The fans don’t always know what is going on behind the scenes. It wasn’t always easy in terms of playing in your preferred position. Some of the fans would have wanted to see more consistency from me. I understand what they’re saying because I felt I had more to prove as well. I know that I could have done better, especially last season. I always gave my all but maybe at times I didn’t always get to the levels I know I am capable of.”
Looking Ahead
Keskinen may have moved on from Aberdeen but it will remain a big part of him and he will continue to be a distant member of the Red Army. He added: “I’m going to be watching most of the games and I just hope they’re going to finish as high as possible. I genuinely do believe Aberdeen can do well this season.”
