Roy saw Teemu in his teens
ROY HODGSON says he first spotted Teemu Pukki when the striker was just 16.
The current Crystal Palace boss was in charge of Finland when Pukki came through the ranks – but admits he lost track of the player until the hitman fired Norwich out of the Championship.
Pukki, 29, has made a seamless transition into the Premier League, hitting six in six games.
And the Eagles boss has compared the Finn’s late emergence to that of Rickie Lambert, who was handed a first England cap by Hodgson at 31.
Hodgson, whose side will attempt to halt Pukki’s scoring streak at Selhurst Park today, said: “I remember him coming through. He was only 16 or 17.
“He was playing in games when I was scouting teams.
“But then I lost track, to be fair. I knew he was a major Finnish talent and one they really believed in.
“When he turned up at Norwich I remembered his name and remembered that he had been a very promising player.
“What happened in between the 16-yearold I saw starting out and the man I saw last year reappear at Norwich City scoring lots of goals, I really don’t know.
“But he’s obviously worked very hard at his game and to become the player he is today, especially after one or two setbacks after such a brilliant start.
“It speaks volumes about his character and the type of person he is.”
He added: “Rickie Lambert was a good example of a player who clicked later in their career.
“He came on the radar at Southampton doing the type of thing that Teemu is now doing for Norwich.
“He got into our England team and scored some important goals.”