Now he only wishes the midweek fixtures would ease off somewhat and allow room for his other love – golf.

Defender Kallio has joined the Blades on loan from Craven Cottage until the end of the season and has speedily settled into the United back four.

And life in England is no longer an oddity, the 31-year-old having been based in the country since January 2008 when he first signed for Fulham from Swiss side Young Boys alongside Jari Litmanen.

Faced with the task of breaking into a Cottagers side enjoying their finest period of recent times in the Premiership, the 6ft 4in defender's move to west London has so far failed to bring the success that he was looking for – Kallio having made just seven appearances for Roy Hodgson's side.

But if nothing else the switch to Craven Cottage certainly got the versatile defender accustomed to life in England – and regular isolation from the first team gave Kallio plenty of time to indulge in his favourite pastime of golf.

Spare time is no longer on the agenda for the Finn, Kallio establishing himself as a regular performer in a Blades side currently charged with the demands of mid-week and weekend football on a weekly basis.

Come April those demands will ease slightly – a time when United hope to be cementing their play-off place and a time when Kallio hopes he can explore the area's golfing scene!

Assessing his time on English shores thus far, Kallio said: "I found it really nice to live in London with all the attractions and there were good golf courses there as well.

"Now I am just looking to find a place to rent for two or three months in Sheffield. I still have my flat in London with my girlfriend.

"There is quite a bit of travelling at the moment!"

Asked if he had found any decent courses in Sheffield, Kallio laughed: "I haven't really had much time because we have so many games now!

"Hopefully when we go back to having one game a week there will be time to hit a few golf balls as well."

Kallio says he has been welcomed with open arms at Bramall Lane since his original arrival at the Blades on a one-month loan deal in November of last year.

After making two appearances, United extended the deal until the end of January only for Roy Hodgson to recall the Finn due to injuries in defence.

However, on February 1, a more healthy state of affairs at Craven Cottage paved the way for the powerful defensive ace to once again link up with Kevin Blackwell's side until the end of the season.

Kallio is experiencing a good vibe from life at Bramall Lane and only wants his side to wipe out the daft defensive errors.

"It's been nice," he said. "All the lads are good and it is going all right.

"It's been nice to play in front of a decent crowd as well and
everything has been good except the results recently!

"There are a lot of new players and it can take time but hopefully the results will get better.

"We have been playing well but we have given away some easy goals – how do you say – some sloppy goals."

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Kallio also feels his team-mates have every chance of cementing a play-off berth and setting up potential ascension to the Premier.

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"It's up to us," he said. "We have to pull together and get some good results.

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"But we have got the players to do it and if we can get all our players together I definitely think we have a chance of promotion."

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United's on-loan Finn is now hoping to take the Blades to a division in which he has made four appearances for Fulham – against Arsenal,
Manchester United and Blackburn twice.

Kallio had hoped there would be more but admits the blazing form of the Cottagers over the past two seasons has made it a tough task to force his way in.

He said: "It makes it difficult when the team is playing so well.
"Otherwise I have had a really good time, it has been nice working with the manager and all the lads there and I have no regrets."

Kallio's words may hint that the end is nigh at Fulham and if so the man nicknamed "bonecrusher" because of his physical presence and no-nonsense tackles would jump at the chance of signing permanently for the Blades.

"I don't know what is going to happen but my contract with Fulham runs out in the summer," he said.

"I just want to join a club where I can play all the time. I will have to decide."

Asked if a permanent Blades move would appeal, Kallio
replied: "Definitely, as I have had a very positive experience at the club.

"Things have gone so well so far so if something comes up it is definitely a possibility."

Either way, United is now Kallio's seventh club in a professional career that has seen spells in Finland, Norway, Switzerland and England.
Beginning his football in his homeland for little known Tampereen Pallo-Veikot, Kallio moved to the slightly more illustrious HJK Helsinki where he spent three seasons – a very short loan spell at another Finnish outfit, FC Jazz Pori, coming in between.

But since 2004, the left-back-cum-centre-back has been based away from his country of birth, moving to Norwegian outfit Molde in 2004 before his switch to the Swiss league with Young Boys three years later.

Unsurprisingly, after a career chopping and changing from country to country, moving to England never really held that many terrors.


"I never had any problems with that because I have had six or seven years now away from Finland," said Kallio.

"I found it quite easy to settle down.

"I've been here two years now and in the first year it was hard but it has been all right since."

However, for all his versatility in adapting to foreign shores, nationally it is with his homeland that Kallio's heart lies, the United loanee having clocked up 28 caps and two goals during his international career.

Out of the picture at Fulham, Kallio failed to feature in Finland's World Cup qualification bid, a bid which ended in tears with the side, skippered by former Liverpool star Sami Hyypia, finishing an agonising third in their group behind Germany and Russia.

Now back playing first team football for the Blades, the defender has been recalled to the Finnish squad for a forthcoming friendly against
Malta and is optimistic about both his international future and his team's chances of qualifying for Euro 2012 with a group consisting of Holland, Sweden, Hungary, Moldova and San Marino.

"We have a friendly against Malta in two weeks and I have been called up so we'll see," he said.

"I don't know what will happen with the qualification games but it is always nice to get called up for the national team.

"The last two qualifications have been really close and hopefully this
time we can get there."