Ilmari Niskanen

Niskanen's current-season form is up 30% on last season (Season 27→35), while his Rating eased 42→39. That makes this his strongest season for form to date.

Domestic career

Season	Club	Apps	G	A	Match	RTG	Season
2025/26	Exeter City · 21st	46	3	13	6.92	39	35
2024/25	Exeter City · 16th	40	2	1	6.76	42	27
2023/24	Exeter City · 13th	33	0	4	6.82	45	25
2023/24	Dundee Utd	1	0	0	—	—	—
2022/23	Dundee Utd · 3rd	20	1	1	6.52	44	14
2021/22	Dundee Utd · 4th	33	1	4	6.59	48	28
2021/22	FC Ingolstadt 04	1	0	0	—	—	—

Domestic-league totals per season. RTG = Field Insider Rating (potential / ceiling); Season = age-blind form that year. 8 earlier seasons in the full career.

Finland · international

Side	Apps	G
Finland	26	1
Finland U21	5	0
Finland U19	3	0
Finland U17	3	0

Career caps & goals — tournament breakdown in the full career.

Scout report

Project playerCreative Full-back

I. Niskanen is a 28-year-old full-back at Exeter City, rated 39.2 overall by Field Insider's model, ranking 44th of 107 on scout potential in the League One. An experienced operator, he has been an ever-present this season (100% of available minutes). His defensive output reads 2.97 tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90. Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Niskanen.

Judged on this season alone, Niskanen graded 35 — an excellent campaign that ranks top 8% of the 14 full-backs in the League One, on 13 clean sheets and 2.973 defensive actions per 90.

Year-on-year, that's a clear step up on last season (Season 27 → 35). Across the 6 seasons we hold, it's his best return yet.

On long-term talent our Rating reads 39, 7th of 14 of the 14 full-backs in the League One. At 28 Niskanen is in his prime years, and a market index of 7.9 reflects that trajectory.

From the career report

Read the full career report →

A career still climbing — Niskanen is at his peak right now, and the curve hasn't flattened.

Peak: 2025/26Trending upBreakout: 2021/22Stepped up 2021/22

Current potential7th of 14 full-backs · League One Current seasonTop 8% full-backs · League One 1st-best full-back in the League One 44th in the League One · potential 7th-highest potential full-back in the League One

39.2

Ratingi

7th of 14 full-backs

35.2

Seasoni

developing / rotation level

100%

Minutes

near ever-present

2.97

Def. actions / 90

moderate defensive volume

Output in context · Exeter City finished 21st of 24 · a lower-table side

Apps

2.97

Def. / 90

103

Tackles

Interceptions

Clean sheets

2.97 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — moderate defensive volume, with 13 clean sheets across 46 appearances. Doing that for a lower-table side (21st of 24) is harder than the bare numbers suggest: a back line under more pressure has to defend more often and protects fewer leads, so the volume — and any clean sheets — carry real weight. Going forward he chipped in 3 goals and 13 assists — a useful bonus from the back.

Strengths

Availability. On the pitch for 100% of available minutes — a dependable presence in the XI.
Attacking threat. Chips in from deep: 0.35 goal involvements per 90, useful for a full-back.

Watch points

Level. Rates below a nailed-on top-tier starter on our model.

Outlook

With a Rating of 39.2, Niskanen carries the 7th-highest potential of the full-backs in the League One of 14, and he is posting that for a lower-table side (Exeter City finished 21st of 24) — individual numbers are harder to earn on a struggling team, so his underlying level likely sits a touch above the ranking. Defensively he reads as moderate defensive volume (2.97 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90), with a bit more on the ball than most in the role. Experienced and reliable, but the value curve is easing (1.2× now → 0.9× projected in three years).

Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.

Per 90 & availability

Minutes played %100%

Available fixtures46 of 46

Goals / 900.065

Assists / 900.282

Goal contribution / 900.347

Defensive actions / 902.973

Player flow

Goal involvements16

Cards / 900.13

Season-by-season progression

Rating (potential)Season (form)

Value & potential by age

Market valueRating

Solid = now · dashed = projected

The gold line is market value — an index (not €) blending rating, age and league. It climbs through the early 20s, peaks around ages 23–27 (~13), then tapers with age. At 28, Niskanen sits on 7.9, past its peak and easing. The blue line is Niskanen's projected Rating — 39.2 today — recomputed at each age, so it follows the same rise-and-fall as a career matures and declines. Solid = up to today; dashed = projected.

Season statistics

Bars = where he ranks among full-backs in the League One with 600+ minutes this season.

Shooting

Goals3

Passing

Assists13

Defending

Tackles103

Interceptions25

Blocks9

Yellow/red cards

Yellow cards6

Red cards0

Transfer history

BlackpoolJun 2026 – nowFree

Exeter CityAug 2023 – Jun 2026

Dundee UtdAug 2021 – Aug 2023

FC Ingolstadt 04until Aug 2021

About I. Niskanen

Ilmari Niskanen is a 28-year-old full-back who plays for Blackpool, born on October 27, 1997 in Kiuruvesi, standing 177 cm tall. He is from Finland. Blackpool currently sit 6th of 24 in the League One.

This season

In the current season, I. Niskanen has made 46 appearances with 3 goals and 13 assists across 4,147 minutes, with 6 yellow cards.

I. Niskanen's next match is on August 29, 2026, when Blackpool face Peterborough at home in the League One.

Field Insider's view

Field Insider currently rates I. Niskanen at 39.2 with a Season form score of 35.2, ranking 44th of 107 full-backs in the League One. See the full scout report for strengths, watch-points and the market-value outlook.

His honours include 2 career titles — among them the Veikkausliiga. Full list in the career record.

Career

Across 13 recorded seasons, I. Niskanen has totalled 379 club appearances with 35 goals and 23 assists for 6 different clubs. His busiest campaign came in 2025/26, with 46 appearances for Exeter City.

I. Niskanen's career has also included time at Exeter City, Dundee Utd and FC Ingolstadt 04.

On the international stage, I. Niskanen has represented Finland, Finland U21, Finland U19, Finland U17 — 37 caps and 1 goal in our records.

Transfer news

No transfer news found for this player.

Profile

Season stats

Also this season

Career

Scout report

Output in context · Exeter City finished 21st of 24 · a lower-table side

Strengths

Watch points