Finnish international Ilmari Niskanen joined Exeter City from Dundee United in August 2023. Commencing his career with Kuopion Palloseura in Finland he had also played for FC Ingolstadt 04 in Germany and, having won his first cap for Finland in 2020, became City's most-capped player as well as earning the distinction of becoming the first Grecian to appear against England. He was an ever-present when Exeter were relegated to League Two in 2025/26 but left the club immediately afterwards to join Blackpool.

Making his debut for Kuopion Palloseura (or KuPS) as a teenager and quickly becoming a regular, he represented Finland at under-17, under-19 and under-21 level before making his full international debut and moving to FC Ingolstadt 04 in 2020. Featuring in around half of his new club’s games in a single-season stay, he signed for Dundee United in 2021 and made around sixty appearances in all competitions (including just over thirty league starts) - scoring twice - during his time at Tannadice. Arriving at St James’ Park aged twenty-five, he had won fourteen full international caps for Finland.    

Ilmari made his Exeter debut against Reading in August 2023 and, with him being the club at the same time as fellow Finn Viljami Sinisalo, both players were in international contention starting with their joint-inclusion in a Finland squad for European Championship qualifiers in September 2023 when Ilmari duly won his first cap as an Exeter player against Kazakhstan on 7 September 2023.  

Making 33 league appearances (27 starts) during his first term at St James' Park, he won another five caps for Finland before the end of the season (including one as a late substitute in a European Championship play-off qualifier against Wales in Cardiff) to quickly become the Grecians' most-capped player.  Also enthusuastically contributing off the field, Ilmari was named by the Exeter City Community Trust as a 'PFA in the Community Champion' ahead of signing a contract extension through until the summer of 2026.

Entering his first full season as a City player, Ilmari became the first player from the club to appear in a full international against England when he came on a second-half substitute in the Nations Cup game at Wembley on 10 September 2024. Taking his total of Finnish caps to twenty-three, he had made around sixty league appearances for the Grecians when he was arrested for a drink-driving offence in February 2025 a few days before the club's FA Cup 4th round tie against Nottingham Forest in which he played the full game including extra-time. Convicted of the offence in March 2025, he maintained his place in City's squad and, having scored against Reading earlier in the campaign, added a second goal to his Exeter tally in the penultimate match of the season against Huddersfield Town. Back in Finland in June 2025, Ilmari made further international appearances when he came on as a substitute in the World Cup qualifiers against the Netherlands and Poland.

Not adding further caps to his total during the following campaign, he had made a further 29 appearances for City in all competitions when he was part of the side that lost 10-1 to Manchester City in the FA Cup in January 2026.  Thereafter remaining in the team that experienced a dramatic downturn in form over the final twenty games of the season, Ilmari was in the side that was relegated following the final game of the season against Bradford City. Having featured in every league game during the season (without being substituted), and with an excellent 'assists' record, he had also scored against Barnsley, Luton and Burton.

Not offered a new deal at the conclusion of the campaign, Ilmari left St James' Park after three seasons during which time he had become known for his openess and friendliness towards supporters togther with becoming City's most capped international following his eleven appearances for Finland during his time with the club. With City heading for League Two, he nonetheless remained in League One when he agreed terms with Blackpool ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.