Eremenko joins fellow Finn Mixu Paatelainen at Rugby Park

By John Barnes

Kilmarnock have signed Alexei Eremenko on a season-long loan from Ukraine club Metalist Kharkiv.

The 27-year-old Finnish international is an attacking midfielder who can play a number of roles.

The Rugby Park manager Mixu Paatelainen has used his contacts in his homeland to land Eremenko, who has scored 13 goals in 44 appearances for Finland.

Eremenko has recently been on loan at FC Jaro, a team managed by his father, where he scored six goals in 15 games.

He started his career with Finnish club FC Jokerit in 2001 before moving to HJK Helsinki in 2002.

After a successful two years at HJK, where he won two league championships and one Finnish Cup, he went on to play at the top level in Italy with Lecce, followed by a three-year stay in Russia with FC Saturn.

In 2009 he signed a three-year deal with Metalist then spent most of 2010 on loan back in his native Finland at FC Jaro.

Kilmarnock last week brought Aston Villa striker Harry Forrester to the club on loan until January.

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