Age at first goal: 17 years, 342 days Finnish striker Mikael Forssell was one of the hottest prospects in Europe when he left HJK in his homeland for Chelsea, but even in the pre-Abramovich era Forssell struggled to get first team opportunities. The young Fin was behind the likes of Gianfranco Zola, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Tore Andre Flo in the Stamford Bridge pecking order, but he still wrote his name in the Premier League history books. His first league goal for Chelsea came against Nottingham Forest in the 1998/99 season, a calm finish past former Chelsea 'keeper Dave Beasant, but it proved to be his only league goal during his debut season in England. What happened next? Competition for places at The Bridge meant that in subsequent seasons Forssell was loaned out to Crystal Palace (twice), Borussia Monchengladbach and Birmingham City (twice). He impressed enough at Birmingham to earn a permanent move there and his post-Chelsea career has also taken in spells in Germany with Hannover, as well as Leeds United (where he failed to score) his first club HJK and back in Germany with his current club Bochum. During that time he's scored an impressive 29 goals for Finland. He may not have quite achieved the heights expected of him as a teenager, but Forssell can look back on his career with pride.
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