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Teemu Tainio (born November 27, 1979 in Tornio) is a Finnish footballer who currently plays for Tottenham Hotspur in the Barclay's Premiership in England. He can play both as a defensive and attacking midfielder and even out wide. Known for his fighting spirit and strong tackling, he has constantly suffered from minor injuries throughout his career.

Tainio on the cover of Finnish sports magazine Urheilulehti

Tainio was promoted to the first team of his home-town club TP-47 in Kakkonen, Finland's third division, at the age of just 14. He was signed by Veikkausliiga club FC Haka for the 1996 season. Tainio joined French club AJ Auxerre in 1997, and spent eight years at the club. He won the Coupe de France with Auxerre twice, and also gained UEFA Champions League experience. His time at the club was, however, plagued by injuries, which also postponed his move to a higher profile league.

With Tainio's contract with Auxerre due to expire in 2005, he became available on a free transfer. In January 2005 it was announced that he would move to Tottenham Hotspur, the club he supported as a boy, on a four-year deal in the summer of 2005. Tainio became an instant hit with both fans and manager Martin Jol in pre-season matches, and he become a regular for Spurs in his first season, playing in different midfield positions. He scored his first goal for his new club in December 2005 against Newcastle United during a Premiership match at White Hart Lane. Tainio was one of ten Spurs squad members reportedly struck down by food poisoning on the evening of May 6, 2006 before their crucial final game of the season against West Ham. He nevertheless played in the match, which Spurs lost, missing out on a place in the Champions League. He scored his second Spurs goal on December 9, 2006 being the third goal in the 5-1 home win against Charlton Athletic. His third goal for the club was an equaliser against West Ham to make the score 2-2 on 4th March 2007. A volley that he struck brilliantly after a cheeky Aaron Lennon flick. Spurs went on to win the game 4-3. His past few performances for Tottenham have stood out, a sign of more quality to come as he becomes a key part of the team's midfield.

Tainio made his debut for the Finnish national team on February 5, 1998 against Cyprus, and has been a regular for the team through most of the 2000s. He is now considered perhaps the most important player in the team, and is often mentioned as a future Finland captain. Unfortunately for Finland, Tainio's injury problems have meant that he has missed a lot of important matches for his country as well.

• Finnish Cup: 1997 with FC Haka.
• Coupe de France: 2002-03, 2004-05 with Auxerre.

• (Finnish) Profile at FA of Finland's official website
• Profile at Tottenham Hotspur's official website
• Profile at ESPNsoccernet.com
• FootballDatabase provides Teemu Tainio's profile and stats