Jani Viander

Jani Viander is a Finnish former professional football goalkeeper who currently works as the Lead Academy Goalkeeper Coach at Premier League side Brentford. In a long career as a player, Viander played professionally in Finland, Belgium, England, Denmark, Israel, and Cyprus. He won 13 caps for Finland national team at international level.

Playing career

Viander played 13 times for Finland national team. He used to play for clubs like HJK Helsinki, Bolton Wanderers and K.V. Kortrijk. At Bolton his only appearance came in the FA Cup against Stockport County. He also joined Stoke City for a season, in which he did not feature in a single match, apart from being named on the substitutes bench.
He ended his long outland journey after returning to Finland to season 2005. He joined newly promoted RoPS, Rovaniemi, but he was not capable to keep them in Finnish Premier league. RoPS were relegated to first division and Viander left club to join FF Jaro. He played against 1. FC Kaiserslautern with HJK in the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League group stage in 1998.

Viander began his coaching career in 2010, after being named HJK Helsinki's club's full-time goalkeeping coach. The following year he was awarded the Coach of the Year award by the Veikkausliiga. Viander was named goalkeeping coach for the Finland U21 side in 2011. In the summer of 2012, Viander returned to England to take up the position of academy goalkeeping coach at Premier League side Norwich City. In April 2013, Viander returned to Brentford, to take up the role of Lead Academy Goalkeeper Coach.

Viander married British-born model Laura Duncan in June 2008.