Teemu Pukki Quotes

I got the call, 'Celtic want you.' And I knew Celtic were a top, top team. I thought it would be much easier than it was. It was quicker than I thought. When you got the ball, there was always a defender at you.

I didn't really adapt to Scottish football well, but I enjoyed my time there. The physical nature and the pace of the game was a big thing, and many of the teams defended really deep against Celtic so there was not so much space to run in behind. That's a big part of my game, so that was one thing as well.

The Scottish game is not easy - far from it.You don't have so much time on the ball. There are aggressive defenders but it is good. Every opponent likes to mark closely so it is not so easy to score. In Germany there was more space to run into other areas of the pitch.

When I moved from Independiente to Atletico Madrid, I was only 18, and I found it hard to adapt. But what surprised me most about moving to England was how fast the game was. I like it, but it is so quick.

Scottish football doesn't suit me perfectly, how I want to play football.

Being able to use both feet was something that came quite naturally to me ever since I started playing. However, it's something I work on all the time to make sure that level never gets any lower.

I am pretty confident I can adapt to the style of the Premier League.

Those years in Denmark changed my game and how I played football.

In England, every game is like a derby, because it's physical.

The English game is not faster than the German game. Perhaps there are a few more sprints. But there is a different style of football here, partially due to the weather.

My process to adapt to English football has been very good.

I never played any games like this in Germany, not when you have to fight for 90 minutes. But if I want to be successful in England, I have to get used to it.

I am always in the box, strong, good in the air, and, of course, I like getting stuck in. I play a physical game.

I'm going to have to get used to the pace of the Premier League and the technical side of it. I had a little taste of it at Hull before they were relegated in 2017, but I've developed a lot as a player since then.

In games, you notice there's more sprints than in Bundesliga. It takes a while to get used to.

Being in midfield, in general, you don't have a lot of time to think, and in the Premier League, that's even less of the case. You just don't have time to think.

I always say the Premier League is the best in the world, and I still feel it is an honour to be playing here, but I think English football suits my game. Football is more physical here; the ref is not whistling every foul.

When you're transitioning, and you're trying to develop a better brand of soccer, at some point, you have to step backward before you step forward.

The first Premier League season is always tough for anyone.

I love watching English football. There are teams in the Premier League that play a style similar to Spanish teams - Arsenal, for example - but in general, it's much quicker; there's so much pace.

You know that when you come to England, there are a lot of players who like to play a more physical game.

Every season, I've adjusted. My first couple of years it was still banging in the post and doing all the nitty gritty stuff. Over the years, it's changed to bigs being able to shoot and run the floor and be more agile, which is good for me because I'm a very agile guy.

I feel like when you're out there and getting reps up and getting a lot of time, then the game's starting to slow down a whole lot.

I've learned to adapt to the pace of the English game and a different style of football in the Premier League.

Rugby is a game that's constant. If you are not growing with it, you get left behind.