Sydney FC will look to boost their striking stocks over the coming weeks as former Hearts forward Juho Makela starts a trial with the Sky Blues on Friday.
The Finnish striker has just come off a sensational season where he was top scorer in the Finnish Veikkausliiga for the second time, notching 16 goals from 18 appearances for champion side HJK Helsinki during the 2010 campaign.
As the Finnish winters are particularly brutal, the season runs from April to October during the summer months, allowing Makela to possibly play for the Sky Blues from January onwards when the international transfer window opens.
A club spokesperson said it was too early to say whether he would be used as a guest-player or possibly even permanently added to the roster.
Nicknamed ‘The Surgeon’, the pacy striker could be the answer to the Sky Blues goalscoring woes this season as they have managed just 16 goals so far, to be the equal third-worst in the league.
Starting his career with home-town team Tervarit, Makela moved to HJK Helsinki for the 2003 season, scoring 33 goals in 66 appearances for the club over the next three campaigns.
He signed a three-and-a-half year deal with Scottish side Hearts in 2006 where in 2007 he was loaned out to Swiss club FC Thun, before returning back to his former club HJK Helsinki in 2008 on an initial three month loan, which became a permanent return prior to the 2009 Veikkausliiga season.
Makela also represented the Finnish National team in 2004.
