6th April 2025 Craven Cottage, Fulham, London, England Premier League Football, Fulham versus Liverpool Mohamed Salah of Liverpool pursues Antonee Robinson of Fulham PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUK ActionPlus12772026 IanxStephen
Keskinen made the call to leave Aberdeen at the end of last season, seeking regular football to maintain his development and Finnish national team standing.
The Finnish winger found himself on the fringes of the squad after Stephen Robinson replaced Jimmy Thelin and prioritised a 3-5-2 system that did not feature wide players.
Robinson was focused on keeping Aberdeen in the Premiership, meaning attacking wingers like Keskinen were not an immediate priority during that survival push.
Keskinen confirmed: “I pretty much decided at the end of the season that I wanted to move on.”
The 23-year-old added: “That was the plan because I just needed to play football. I’m at that age where I want to be playing regularly.”
Despite having a good personal relationship with Robinson, Keskinen felt the tactical setup left him with little option but to seek a move elsewhere.
He said: “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.”
Interest arrived from Odense, Debrecen, and Hajduk Split, with Danish side Odense ultimately winning the race for his signature in a seven-figure deal.
Fellow Finnish international Anssi Suhonen was already at Odense, giving the club an inside connection that likely helped convince Keskinen to make the move to Denmark.
Keskinen said of his Aberdeen departure: “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.”
He arrived at Pittodrie from HJK for £850,000 back in 2024 and made an immediate impression, scoring the winner on his League Cup debut against Queen’s Park.
His first season under Thelin produced genuine highs, including an unbeaten start that sparked title talk among supporters and a memorable draw at Celtic Park from two goals down.
Keskinen recalled: “That was my favourite time, of course, at Aberdeen. In one match we drew at Celtic after being 2-0 down.”
He added: “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.”
Aberdeen eventually finished fifth but capped the season with Scottish Cup glory, and Keskinen was named the club’s young player of the year.
The second season proved a stark contrast, with the Dons struggling domestically and drawing Shakhtar Donetsk, AEK Athens, Sparta Prague, Strasbourg, Noah and AEK Larnaca in the Conference League group stage.
Keskinen reflected: “The previous season had ended so well with the Scottish Cup win and a lot of people were expecting us to kick on again.”
He described a campaign defined by persistent letdowns, saying: “It was just basically disappointment after disappointment the whole season.”
Thelin was eventually sacked and Robinson was headhunted from St Mirren to steer the club away from relegation danger in the closing weeks of the season.
Keskinen acknowledged his own inconsistency during his time at Pittodrie, saying: “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.”
He also noted: “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.”
Despite moving on, Keskinen expressed genuine warmth for Aberdeen and said: “I genuinely do believe Aberdeen can do well this season.”
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