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From Gary Rose
BBC Sport
Soon Finland prime minister Antti Rinne got up from his chair at the scenic Elysee Palace in Paris, shook the hand of France president Emmanuel Macron and presented him.
It was a Teemu Pukki football shirt.
This is Finland strikers and also the in-form Norwich standing at the instant that his name even makes it onto the schedule of political meetings, alongside issues and trade deals.
Since joining the Canaries on the summer of 2018, Together with 44 goals, Pukki is still among the most prolific players in world football right now.
Nevertheless, it wasnt always that way for a player once described asnot a complete disaster after having a less-than-impressive stint in Celtic.
As Pukki looks to make it six goals in seven matches for Finland if they confront Bosnia and Herzegovina on Saturday (17:00 BST) and move them a step closer to qualifying for their first important championship, BBC Sport charts the fall and rise of Norwichs talismanic striker.
The narrative of pukki is not one of a player who blossomed in life but instead a participant who constantly had the ability however, until recently, didnt find himself the circumstances to flourish.
Having amazed in his biography from a young age – he made his debut for his hometown group at 16 and was named Finlands Young Player of the Year in his first season – Pukki captured the eye of numerous international scouts while playing for Finland in an Under-17s championship in Portugal.
What he had afterward was his incredible timing in his runs on the other side of the defence, says Flemming Berg, who was at that tournament employed as a scout for Chelsea. He has those qualities and he had them as a teen.
With the career of possibly Finlands greatest player, Jari Litmanen, heading towards its ending, clubs have been on the watch for the superstar that is Finnish. Pukki was invited for a trial Chelsea and was rumoured interest from Sevilla and Juventus, although nothing came from it.
It was and, in 2008, Pukki combined Sevilla.
Pukki possibly fell victim to getting too far. He arrived at the town as a year old, living with his mommy in a flat while being unable to speak the language.
After a year or two in the La Liga sides childhood group, the manager who signed him – Diego Rodriguez – was sacked and Pukki found himself even more. He returned to Finland to attempt to kick-start his livelihood.
After a spell in HJK Helsinki, Pukki was again offered the chance of playing in one of Europes big leagues this time together with German club Schalke.
His progress was again hindered by circumstances despite scoring two in his debut. Ahead of all Pukki were Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Spanish legend Raul, who would go on to enjoy one of the seasons of their career with 48 goals in 48 games. Pukki was off it from the beginning.
A go to Celtic followed but there that he struggled with both the leagues physicality and carrying out of place.
The matter with him at Celtic was that he had been played the left hand side, he wasnt played in a central character or at least not very regularly, former Celtic and Norwich striker Chris Sutton tells BBC Sport. That certainly didnt help – hes a number nine plus he has such good movement
Keeping tabs on his progress was Berg, who now worked as a scout for Brondby.
The matter with Teemu would be, although he didnt score many goals at Schalke and Celtic, his goals-per-minutes ratio was really good at those clubs, he says.
The numbers spoke on their own. While up to a goal every other game he still averaged in the Celtic at Schalke his goals-per-minutes ratio was with his record in Norwich.
I knew that his representative and thought Id attempt to persuade him Brondby, adds Berg. I did not believe there could be a chance because it was a tiny step down but they said yes.
A measure down it could have been ultimately it was the move that made Pukki the player.
At the club he would come to function under German coach Alexander Zorniger, who believed Pukki needed to become fitter that he would do job – to drop pick the ball up and help build strikes.
I was a bit lazy, Pukki told the Eastern Daily Press earlier this year. I was not doing the defensive work I must get done, and thats one thing Zorniger taught me. When I do defensive work nicely it always helps my offensive game.
All potential that had laid dormant for decades was released. Pukki scored more and 48 goals in 90 matches for Brondby fascination with his services was high.
Not able to agree that a new contract at Brondby, several clubs expressed an interest but it was Norwich who proposed the most attractive deal to Pukki given passing style of football, the most expressive the Canaries played suited his game longer.
After scoring 29 goals in 43 Championship matches to help Norwich win promotion to the Premier League, he has six goals in eight games with Norwich continuing to keep faith in the system which has served so well and Pukki, them.
Am I surprised by how well he has done? Yes, Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer tells BBC Sport.
He has had an excellent start in the Premier League but that the task is to allow him to keep that. If youre able to find a person to score you 15 Premier league goals you have got a very good likelihood of staying up. Together with six goals already he is well on his way to that.
Pukkis form over the last year has seen his popularity in his eponymous soar.
Hes got a featured on the front pages of papers and magazines lately while his exploits – and Norwichs advertising – have given TV supervisors.
Liverpool are undoubtedly the hottest team in the country however the performances of Pukki have led to a rise in need for Norwich games to be shown.
Tero Vaatainen is part of a set of supporters calledFinnish Canaries, who gather to watch whenever they can Norwich matches.
Right now hes massive, he tells BBC Sport. After each Norwich game theres at least one story on it in all the papers, focusing on how Pukki played.
Hes almost getting to Sami Hyypia and Jari Litmanen degree in terms of a popular player in Finland.
1 thing which would raise Pukki to the same level as those two would be if he could score the goals to flame Finland.
Following 14, after Saturdays match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland sponsor Armenia. Automatic qualification would be all but guaranteed by victories from both of these games for Markku Kanervas squad.
It would also push him closer to exceeding Litmanen because the record goalscorer of Finland. Pukki has 20 global objectives, 12 behind the Finland legend.
I feel that are the clinching point, adds Vaatainen. Hed go past Litmanen and Hyypia and some of the others
From a participant who seemed destined to fail in his quest to succeed in Europes top leagues into become on the verge of possibly becoming the biggest player of Finland is, by the standards of anyone, be a turnaround.
If you take a look at his back-story, thereve been quite a few clubs that have fancied him and its not happened for him personally BBC pundit and former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson states.
That is the thing – finally, when youve got that skill, which undoubtedly he has, it will happen for you. And obviously its happened for him in the end.
Additional reporting by Chris Bevan
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