Jussi Jaaskelainen has no plans to step aside any time soon as he prepares for his 500th Bolton appearance.
Trotters keeper set to make 500th appearance for the club
Jussi Jaaskelainen has no plans to step aside any time soon as he prepares for his 500th Bolton appearance.
The Finnish goalkeeper will reach that landmark on Saturday when the Trotters face Birmingham in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
The 35-year-old will join an elite list of players to pass that milestone, etching his name alongside the likes of Eddie Hopkinson, Roy Greaves, Alec Finney, Warwick Rimmer, Bryan Edwards, Ted Vizard, Paul Jones, Roy Hartle and the legendary Nat Lofthouse.
Jaaskelainen has come a long way since completing a £100,000 move to England some 14 years ago, with there little indication back then that he would become a Premier League icon.
He admits the magnitude of what he is about to achieve is yet to sink in, but he is honoured to have become part of Bolton football folklore.
"I'm obviously really glad to make that number of appearances but I always say it's really hard when you're in the moment to really appreciate it," he told
The Bolton News.
"As soon as I finish a game, I am right back on to prepare for the next one, so you don't really see the numbers stacking up.
"Of course, it's a great honour to get to this stage and look at the other players who have done it but I haven't been able to think about it much. Maybe it's something I will do when I retire."
Focused
Hanging up his gloves is not something Jaaskelainen is preparing to do any time soon, though, as he believes he could play on into his 40s providing he can look after his health.
"You see players and keepers going on right through their 30s and into their 40s and if I can keep injury-free, I think I can do that too," he said.
"Right now I feel 100 per cent fit, I'm right there for every training session. You learn with experience down the years what you need to do to keep yourself going and keep yourself focused.
"You have to do the right things, not only on the training ground but also away from football, at home.
"You also need the right people behind you - and we have some top guys advising us and making sure that we go the right way."
