[1] Parikka was known as a striker who possessed a good footballing brain for bringing his teammates in the game, while having an undeniable eye for the goal.

However, he broke his anterior crucial ligament in a pre-season match against FC Inter Turku, and the team lost the whole season in 2005.

Parikka made his first appearance for senior side at the age of nineteen, when coach Keith Armstrong let him play in the 1–2 away defeat against FC KooTeePee on 21 April, 2006.

In 2007, he made seven goals in the Finnish league cup, which is a shared record with Ari Hjelm and Aleksei Kangaskolkka.

In the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship he played on the Finnish U-17 team and scored the equalising goal in Finland's 2–1 win against China in the opening fixture.

His younger brother Mikko Parikka is a regular cast member of the popular prime time soap opera, Salatut elämät.