THE TURKISH ZIDANE
“Someone who had just seen Oguzhan Ozyakup for the first time could be forgiven for saying: ‘Did he come from outer space? He dribbles like Zinedine Zidane’.”
Ozyakup had just helped Besiktas secure a 5-2 win on the opening day of the Super Lig season and even Ridvan Dilmen, a former player of rivals Fenerbahce, was impressed.
Ask most people across Europe to name Turkey’s biggest star and Arda Turan is the most likely response. Next might come Hakan Calhanoglu or Burak Yilmaz. Not too many would pick Ozyakup, or ‘Ozzy’.
But his recent appearance as the cover star of Fourfourtwo’s Turkish edition – posing as an orchestral maestro, symbolic of his role in the Besiktas midfield – was indicative of just how big Ozyakup has become in his homeland.
The 23-year-old’s four seasons with Besiktas and his role in Turkey’s qualification for Euro 2016 (he was the lesser known of the scorers in the crucial 3-0 win over the Dutch) have earned him more than 310,000 Twitter followers and the love of a nation.
Ozyakup could have been a household name in England now if things had been different. Born in the Netherlands, he left AZ at 15 to join Arsenal. However, his four years in England produced only 27 minutes of League Cup action against Shrewsbury and Bolton, and a role as an unused substitute in the Gunners’ 8-2 Premier League loss at Manchester United. He departed for Turkey, the home of his parents, still as a relative unknown.
“In England I was not recognised by the supporters so much, like I am now in Turkey,” he tells FFT. “They were generally running after players like Robin van Persie or Theo Walcott, but of course that was normal.
“In Turkey I’ve played more than 120 games and I am very proud of that because I can see that I’m achieving what I was planning before I came here. Being involved with the Turkish national team was part of that.”
Ozyakup is grateful for the adulation he is now receiving in a country renowned for its passion for the beautiful game.
“In Turkey, fans live for football,” he explains. “That’s good and also a little bad. When you win you can be the best player in the world, but when you lose it can be hard to move on because of the pressure. It doesn’t last long, though – their passion for the team is so great.
“Besiktas fans are the most awesome fans in the world. We have a really good bond. When I proved myself in midfield they started to call me ‘maestro’, and I enjoy that very much.
“It’s not easy to walk in public areas like it was in the Netherlands or England, but when I go out people want to take photos and praise me, which makes me happy and proud. “They reach out through social media, too. I love to use Instagram, mostly. I think I’m creating a special bond with the supporters.”
Life in the goldfish bowl in Istanbul can provide its own issues, however. “The Turkish media criticise every game and every player so much,” says Ozyakup. “Television programmes are more than two hours long after the games! I try to take myself away from most of that because it affects my motivation. It’s the only way to concentrate.”
Ozyakup’s focus is total, and he is still dreaming of a return to the Premier League. “I have unfinished business in England,” he admits. “I had offers from European teams but I rejected them. I will wait until I get an offer from the teams that I want to play for.
“Robin van Persie helped me a lot at Arsenal, and we see each other often now he’s playing for Fenerbahce. He’s like a big brother to me. When we talk about our Arsenal days and how I’ve improved since, he’s really happy for me.”
“Robin van Persie helped me a lot at Arsenal. He’s like a big brother to me”