TC goalie signs for Dunfermline
TURKISH Cypriot professional footballer Deniz Mehmet has quit Scottish Premiership side Dundee United for Scottish Championship outfit Dunfermline Athletic.
Goalkeeper Mehmet, born in Enfield, London, joined Dunfermline on a two-year contract this month. He has already made two appearances for his new team, a 4-2 away win over Partick Thistle and a 5-1 home victory against Dumbarton in the Scottish League Cup group stage.
He becomes the second footballer of Turkish Cypriot ethnicity to play for Dunfermline, following in the footsteps of striker Billy Mehmet, who made 49 appearances for the club from 2003 to 2005.
“It’s always good to start a new challenge and turn to a new page in the book,” Mehmet said in comments released by the club.
“I just can’t wait to get going properly. There were a few options down south but everything just clicked and seemed to fit for me.
“It felt right, I spoke to the manager he was really good at outlining where he wants it to go. It became clear that this is a club with good ambitions that I want to be a part of.
“I’ve been up in Scotland long enough to know that Dunfermline is a good club and know enough about the landscape up here to know that they have a really good backing and fan base.”
“No disrespect to [rival Dunfermline Athletic goalkeeper Owain] Fon [Williams], absolutely not, but it just wasn’t happening for me at United and this is a football decision.
“In truth, I would have liked to have played a lot more before now but, being a goalkeeper, I do feel like I have more time ahead of me.
“Hopefully, I won’t retire as early as an outfield player would and goalkeepers come into our peak at different times, so I’m hoping I have plenty of good years ahead of me.”
A statement from Dunfermline Athletic said it was “delighted” to have Mehmet sign for them.
Boss Peter Grant said: “We know we’re light in positions – the goalkeeping area is an issue for us and that’s something we’re looking at very closely.
“I want two goalkeepers who are going to be fighting tooth-and-nail to get in the first-team. I want quality in there.”
Mehmet’s former club, confirming the transfer, said in a statement: “The 28-year-old stopper first joined United in 2017 making a total of 25 appearances across his two spells at the club and was part of the Championship-winning squad in 2019/20.
“He joins an ambitious Pars side who, after finishing fourth last season, aim to go even further in the upcoming campaign.
“Everyone at Dundee United would like to thank Deniz for everything he has given the club and wish him all the best moving forward.”
Mehmet played for youth teams at Arsenal, Charlton Athletic, and Manchester United, before joining West Ham United’s youth academy in 2008.
His Turkish Cypriot parentage made him eligible to play for Turkey, making 23 appearances for its national youth sides.
He moved to Turkey to sign for Kayserispor, where he made his professional debut, and remained there for four seasons until January 2016, when he signed for Falkirk.
‘FIRST CHOICE KEEPER’
In March 2017 he arrived at Port Vale on a short-term contract until the end of the 2016-17 season, becoming the first choice keeper for the English League One side. In July 2017 he joined Dundee United on a one-year deal.
He finished the 2017-18 season as United’s number one keeper – until a “freak injury” sustained during a goal celebration put an end to his season.
Speaking of the anterior cruciate ligament injury that sidelined him for eight months, Mehmet said: “I’ve already been reminded of that – apparently it was a somersault that I did! That is definitely not true. That’s something I’ll never be able to shake off. It was nothing to do with the celebration. It was a freak incident, a standard jump, land and step forward. Thankfully that’s behind me now.”
On May 21, 2018, Deniz signed a contract extension until the end of January 2019 but in March 2019 he had a spell at Queen of the South before returning to Dundee United four months later to compete with Benji Siegrist for the goalkeeper’s jersey in the 2019-20 season.
Mehmet made four league and eight cup appearances during the 2020-2021 season, including playing in the Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Hibernian.