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'My dad told me to play football rather than ice hockey' - The remarkable story of Finnish-Malaysian wonderkid Nooa Laine

The Finnish top tier, Veikkausliiga is perhaps not as well-known to Malaysian fans as its glitzier counterparts in the European continent. But it was no mean feat for Finnish-Malaysian attacking midfielder Nooa Laine to secure a move to a top tier club; Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho (SJK) just months after turning 18, having cut his teeth playing in the lower tiers in the past three seasons.

According to his representative, Laine will train with SJK for now, with the one-time Veikkausliiga champions described as the club with the best facilities in Finland.

It was a journey that began since he was a boy, said the teenager in a video interview with Goal on Wednesday.