In particular, he struggled with one part of the English language.
Speaking with Palace TV in an exclusive documentary eight years ago, Riihilahti explained his difficulties with the vernacular...
"I'd been chosen as the worst dressed player of Crystal Palace for six years in a row and therefore people were calling my shirts 'minging'," he said.
"I think it's an honour, it's a good thing. Because, let's face it, don't follow trends; make them. I thought 'minging' was a nice word because somebody said my shirt was 'minging'. I thought: 'oh, cool, this is a very nice shirt. I like it.'
"Having a date with an English woman and I accidentally told somebody that her hair might look 'minging' and she was not very pleased. I genuinely thought it was a good word!"
Watch more from the Finn in the fantastic, amusing feature produced by Palace TV below. Many happy returns, Aki!