The women's team of 1. FC Union Berlin are delighted to welcome their next winter signing in striker, Elli Seiro. The 19-year-old is moving to Union from FC Honka Espoo.

Fast, tricky, dangerous

Elli Seiro was born in 2005 and grew up in the small Finnish town of Espoo, where, as a nine-year-old, she began her football career at Espoon Palloseuran Jalkapallo (EPS). While she was at Haukilahti Upper Secondary School, she specialised in sport, focussing on her training and the pursuit of her dream of becoming a professional footballer.

Seiro went through most of FC Honka's youth divisions and made her debut in the Finnish top flight at the age of 16 when, on 7 August 2021, she took to the pitch against HJK Helsinki. She scored her first goal as a professional about six months later in the Naisten Suomen Cup against Ilves. In total, the fast forward played 73 professional games for Honka, scoring 19 goals and providing 8 assists.

Seiro quickly came to prominence on the international stage too, being called up for Finland's U-17 side to play Denmark in a series of friendlies in September 2021. She played the full 90 minutes in her first appearance and scored the only goal of the game in a 3-1 defeat. Seiro has since played 36 games for various Finnish national youth teams.

Three facts about Elli 

• At the 2022 U17 European Championship, Seiro scored the decisive 2-1 winner in the group match against Norway.
• At 1.58 metres, she is the shortest player in the 1. FC Union Berlin squad.
• She says of herself: ‘I'm quite aggressive on the pitch, even though I'm quite nice off it.’

The views on the transfer

“Joining 1. FC Union Berlin is a very big and special step for me,” said Seiro on her move to the German capital. “I felt comfortable from the very beginning in my discussions with the club's management. I want to prove myself at a high level here in Germany and help the team achieve their goals.”

Jennifer Zietz, director of women's professional football at 1. FC Union Berlin, said: “In Elli, we are gaining a young and promising talent. She is a versatile attacker with a keen eye for goal and tremendous speed, who repeatedly creates dangerous situations. Despite her young age, she has already gained valuable experience in the Finnish top flight and at international level. We are delighted that Elli is now part of our team and will strengthen us in the second half of the season.”