By Hull City

An in-depth look at the career of the Tigers’ fourth January recruit, Marcus Forss…

 

Raised in Turku, the Finnish forward took his first steps into the game with FC Ruskon Pallo, TuWe and the FDS-Suomi football school in his homeland.

Hailing from a footballing family, his father Tero was a former player and manager, his brother Niclas plays for Finnish side MaPa, and his grandfather Rainer is a former Finland international.

Moving to England to join West Bromwich Albion’s academy aged 13, he progressed through the Baggies’ youth system to earn a two-year scholarship in 2015.

Representing Finland Under-17s four times, scoring twice, Forss featured regularly in the Under-18 Premier League and made one appearance for the Baggies’ Under-21s in an EFL Trophy group stage fixture against Gillingham.

He also scored for Sunderland’s Under-18s during a trial game in a 2-0 victory over Swansea City in the final stage of the Under-18 Premier League.

Joining Brentford’s B team in June 2017, he scored 11 goals in his first 23 appearances and was rewarded with a new three-and-a-half-year contract.

He finished the 2017/18 season as their top scorer with 21 goals and won the team’s Player of the Year award.

Alongside his club commitments, Forss continued to further his international career by scoring four goals in five appearances for the Under-18s and captaining their Under-19s, notching three in six.

He also scored two goals in five appearances for their Under-21 side.

Due to his form at club and international level, Forss was promoted to the first-team squad and scored on his senior debut in a 4-2 away victory against Southend United in the EFL Cup.

In September 2019, the 22-year-old joined League One side AFC Wimbledon, netting 11 goals in 18 league appearances, before a torn hamstring cut his loan spell short.

Following his recovery, Forss returned to Brentford and was a regular from the bench in the 2020/21 season, scoring 10 goals in 51 appearances.

His 81st-minute effort against AFC Bournemouth secured a 3-2 aggregate semi-final win and sent Brentford through to a second consecutive play-off final, which they won 2-0 against Swansea City to secure promotion to the Premier League.

During the same season, Forss made his senior debut for Finland in November 2020, scoring in a shock 2-0 friendly victory away to France, and currently has two goals and 11 senior caps to his name.

This season, the forward has made 12 appearances for Brentford, netting six times, with four of those finishes coming in the 7-0 annihilation of Oldham Athletic in the EFL Cup third round.