Born in Helsinki, Tauriainen began his footballing career with academy side FC Wild, a club his father had been involved in creating, at the age of five.[2][3] He joined professional outfit HJK in 2016, before trialling with Italian sides Juventus and Inter Milan, as well as English side Chelsea in 2020.[4][5]
In March 2020, shortly after his sixteenth birthday, HJK announced on their website that Tauriainen would join Chelsea in July of the same year, following his successful trial.[6] Initially a forward during his time in Finland, he was converted to a midfielder at Chelsea.[7]
He signed his first professional contract with The Blues on his seventeenth birthday, before extending this contract four months later, in July 2021.[8][9]
On 25 February 2024, Tauriainen was named in the Chelsea first team squad in the League Cup final against Liverpool but remained an unused substitute.[10] He made his senior debut three days later, coming on as a late substitute for Mykhailo Mudryk in the FA Cup fifth round match against Leeds United. [11] On 2 May 2024, Tauriainen made his first appearance in Premier League, as a late substitute in a 2–0 home win against Tottenham.[12]
International career
Tauriainen has represented Finland from under-15 to under-19 level.[1]
Personal life
Tauriainen hails from a football family; his father, Pasi, is a former international for Finland, while his elder brother, Julius, currently plays for Finnish side Lahti.[2] His grandfather, Veikko and his uncles, Kimmo and Vesa, are also former footballers.[2][13]