A WORKING knowledge of Bolton was essential when Jussi Jaaskelainen was choosing the three good causes to benefit from his testimonial.

The accent had to be on children and the organisations had to be local . . . no problem.

For while Finland might the country where he was born, raised and where his goalkeeping talents were nurtured, Bolton has been Jaaskelainen’s home for more than 11 years.

He knows the town and he knows its people. His three sons were born here, have put down roots here and Jussi and his wife, Tessa, fully intend to stay here when he eventually hangs up his boots, although he insists that won’t be for another four or five years.

“This is our home,” said the 34-year-old Reebok favourite, who is now happy to consider himself an adopted Boltonian.

“For the first five or six years I was thinking we would go back to Finland after I finished playing football. But over the last five or six years I have decided this is the place I want to stay.

“In fact Tessa thought that long before I did. We both consider this to be our home, our boys have their lives here and this is the place where they will study to give themselves the best opportunities for their futures.”

Finnish remains the language of the Jaaskelainen household but sons William, aged 10, eight-year-old Emil and three-year-old Robin often answer in English, and when school work is being discussed, Tessa avoids any confusion or conflict on the studies side of things by insisting on English.

Finland is a place for holidays and family visits, where the boys are spoiled by their doting grandparents, but the family is so integrated into life in Bolton that Jussi admits: “We go to Finland on holidays but it’s always nice to come home again. We are all happy here.”

Tessa admits: “It was hard when we first came here but, when you move to another country you have to try to become part of that country. You have to make every effort to settle. We did that and were glad that we did.

“All our friends are here, this is where we have made our home and, when you think about it, this is where Jussi and I have spent more of our adult life. Most of the time we’ve spent together has been over here.”

The Jaaskelainens might never have set foot in Bolton, however, if the then Wanderers manager Colin Todd had not pipped Norwich City to his signature in November 1997.

“I was just a phone call away from signing for Norwich,” Jussi recalls. “The manager Mike Walker (father of Ian who would later become Jaaskelainen’s understudy at the Reebok) wanted to sign me but, unfortunately, his wife died that week and things dragged on a little longer than they should have done.

“Then I got a phone call from Colin Todd. I think he phoned me on the Wednesday, I signed on the Saturday and he gave us three days to move out of our house in Finland and move over here.

“Bolton had watched me in the Under-21s and they were interested, but when it happened it happened very quickly indeed.

“I’m glad it did. It’s been brilliant, although I could never imagine how things would have worked out when we first came here.”

Signed for a bargain £100,000 from VPS Vassa, Jaaskelainen soon established himself as Wanderers’ number one and is now the club’s longest serving player. He has made more than 400 first team appearances for the club and, since winning promotion with the Whites in 2001, has built a reputation as one of the best goalkeepers in Europe.

However, he has lost none of the ambition that has driven him to develop and improve his skills with every passing year and, while proud of having helped Wanderers twice qualify for Europe when they achieved top-eight Premiership finishes in four successive seasons, he likes to think the highlights of his career have still to come.

“When we first came into the Premiership no one could have dreamed that we would have two European campaigns. Qualifying for Europe through our league position twice was brilliant,” he said.

“At the moment we are just a little bit off the track but I really believe we will be back up there again next season.

“I wouldn’t say this season has been a success but I wouldn’t be too disappointed either because of what happened last season. I’ve been saying all along how difficult it has been, mentally, for everybody getting things back to normal after that terrible start we had.

“But we are only three wins away this season from challenging for Europe again and we missed a big opportunity when we lost to Fulham here. Since then, they have kicked on and we have not. But after the problems we had last year, I believe we are definitely going in the right way.”

Jaaskelainen, whose Reebok service will be celebrated when Wanderers take on SPL side Hibernian in his charity testimonial match on August 8, is determined to be on the Bolton scene for another three years at least. “That’s what is left on my contract,” he says with a sense of belonging. “But, hopefully, I’ve got another four or five years — provided I stay clear of any serious injuries. Beyond that, you never know.”