Alexei Eremenko

Aleksei Alekseyevich Yeryomenko (; born 24 March 1983) is a Russian-born Finnish professional footballer who currently plays for Metalist Kharkiv. He is an Midfielder who is able to operate in many roles, and is also known as a set piece specialist.

Career

Eremenko was born in Rostov-on-Don, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union but moved to Finland with his family at the age of seven when his father, former FC Dynamo Moscow and FC Spartak Moscow player Alexei Eremenko Sr., came to play in Finland with FF Jaro. He was granted Finnish citizenship in 2003, but still holds a Russian passport as well. He is the elder brother of Roman Eremenko and the father to a son born in September 2007.

Eremenko spent some time with Tromsø IL in Norway (his father played for the senior team, he himself played for the under-fifteens team) and with the youth academy of FC Metz in France, before returning to Finland to make his Veikkausliiga debut with FC Jokerit in 2001. A trial with Aston Villa followed, but in the next season he moved to HJK, and eventually became the league's top player. He won two Finnish championships and one Finnish Cup with HJK. In the summer of 2004 Eremenko moved back abroad, joining Italian Serie A club US Lecce. After failing to make a major breakthrough at Lecce, he moved to FC Saturn on a four-year deal in the January 2006 transfer window, becoming a key player for the Russian side.

On the 15th July 2011 it was reported that he is signing for Leeds United in a Finish...
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