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Mikael Forssell Bio
The 2007/08 season could be a crucial one for Finnish striker Forssell as he strives to make a full return to fitness after several seasons marked by injury and convalescence.
He first joined Birmingham City on loan from Chelsea in a four-month deal in August 2003, which was then extended until the end of the 2003/04 season and then extended again for a further season in April 2004.
During that time the striker became a fans favourite thanks to his goal scoring prowess; in the 2003/04 season he bagged 19 goals in 37 games.
However injuries curtailed his goal-getting. After just four months of the 2004/05 season he suffered a serious knee injury, ruining his season and his loan to St Andrews as he returned to Chelsea in January 2005 for rehabilitation.
Forssell returned to first team action with Chelsea at the end of the 2004/05 before once again agreeing a move to Birmingham; a permanent deal for a fee of £3.5million.
But more injuries followed as he missed the vast majority of the 2005/06 season as his fitness and form suffered, a situation repeated in the 2006/07 after a knee problem.
He made a stunning impact on the English game after Chelsea bought him from HJK Helsinki, displaying all the confidence and swagger of a much more seasoned pro.
He wasted no time at all in showing Chelsea fans what he could do, with a brace of spectacular finishes helping to put paid to Oxford in the 1998/99 FA Cup and further goals followed in the Premiership.
However, he found it hard to sustain a first team place in a squad boasting Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Eidur Gudjohnsen, and was loaned to First Division Crystal Palace for the 2000/2001 season.
He had initially been loaned out on to Palace in February 2000 for the remainder of the season, and scored three goals in 13 games.
With a full season to impress, Forssell helped Crystal Palace stave off the threat of relegation and reach the semi-finals of the Worthington Cup.
The invaluable experience he gained there surely meant that an already exciting player became even more of a penalty area menace. He scored 13 League goals in 31 starts at Selhurst Park.
Other clubs were eager to take him on loan for the 2001/02 season, but Chelsea were eager to nurture the young star themselves.
Although only a bench player behind Eidur Gudjohnsen and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Forssell weighed in with some fine goals. In fact he netted in four consecutive games after coming on as a sub and ended the season with a very creditable nine goals.
However, the emergence of Carlton Cole and the impressive form of Gianfranco Zola pushed the striker down the pecking order and, at the end of January 2003, he joined Borussia Moenchengladbach, in his home country of Germany, on loan for the remainder of the season.
Forssell was a real star in the Bundesliga, and Moenchengladbach wanted to take him on a permanent basis at the end of the loan - though their attempts failed.
Despite that impressive start he never managed to force his way into the Chelsea side on a regular basis and the influx of Roman Abramovich's millions only served to make his situation more difficult.
After Chelsea completed the signing of Adrian Mutu and Hernan Crespo it was clear his chances would be limited. Birmingham City came in to take him on loan for the 2003/04 season at the end of August.
If there were any doubts about his ability to cut it in the Premiership, they were removed at St Andrew's.
Forssell carved out a reputation as one of the best strikers in the Premiership, his skill on the ball, guile and pace causing problems all season.
He marked his debut for the Blues with both goals in a 2-2 draw at home to Fulham, and scored in the next match, a 2-0 win at Leeds United.
Despite playing for a club which was not the most prolific, he still bagged 17 goals in 32 Premiership starts - an outstanding return. He netted 19 goals in 35 starts in all competitions.
If Steve Bruce had pulled off something of a coup to get Forssell on loan in the first place, then managing to extend the deal for the 2004/05 season could have been an even better bit of business.
But this time Forssell found his stay in the Midlands ravaged by injury. He made just four Premiership appearances, without finding the back of the net, before a serious knee injury ended his loan spell and his season in September - or so it was thought.
The striker returned to fitness in April, coming off the bench during Chelsea's 4-2 Champions League quarter-final victory over Bayern Munich for the final few minutes.
He played one further game for Chelsea before his time in west London came to a close.
The summer of 2005 saw a host of clubs on the hunt for the player's signature. It was Champions League qualifiers Everton who made the first move, but Birmingham won the race after offer a higher fee and better wages.
Blues paid Chelsea £3million for the Finnish finisher, who penned a three-year deal with the option of a further two on top.
Bruce said: 'There were eight other Premiership clubs after his services. But Birmingham was good for Mikael and the reason so many clubs wanted him was because of what he did with us in 2003/04.
'He is the type of footballer everyone wants at their club - not just because of his ability but because of the way he conducts himself on and off the pitch.'
Forssell himself added: 'The season I had two years ago with Birmingham was a big influence on my decision to come back. I had a great time here and this feels a bit like coming home.'
Forssell scored 12 Chelsea goals in a total of 53 appearances - 41 of those from the bench.
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