Eight glorious years in life of Rovers’ true ’Turkish delight’
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 28, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Turkish football star Tugay Kerimoğlu brings an emotional end to an illustrious career as he waves goodbye to his Blackburn Rovers fans. The midfielder earns himself a well-deserved name in both Turkish and English football history after eight years of play, a place that can be best seen in the teary eyes of Rovers fans.
Before Tugay Kerimoğlu, English fans’ thoughts about Turkish football did not go much deeper than "stuffed Turkey" jokes. Leaving some 30,000 supporters shouting "our Turkish delight" in his farewell to the Blackburn Rovers, what the midfielder has done in eight years is more than outstanding.
The 38-year-old Turkish international put an end to his football career in eye-watering fashion last Sunday, when he stepped on the Ewood Park pitch for the last time to play against West Bromwich Albion. It was not an important fixture on the last day of the English Premier League, as Blackburn had nothing to play for, while West Brom already clinched relegation, but it did not stop Rovers fans from nearly packing the stadium. They were there to bid a farewell to Tugay, the player who is considered to be among one of the best players to serve in the blue and white jersey.
"Tugay, you are our Turkish delight," read one of the many banners held by emotional Rovers fans, while hundreds wore Tugay’s masks on their face. The player responded in a similar fashion after the game, as he wore a T-shirt that read, "Thank you all for your support."
’I’ll miss you’
While the phrase "Nobody does it better" blared through the speakers, he took the microphone and said, "I love you and I'll miss you."
This requited love between Tugay and Rovers fans is not undeserved. The Turk played 230 league games for Blackburn, making him the club’s third most capped player in its Premier League history.
Blackburn coach Sam Allardyce paid tribute to the Turk.
"He is not just a skillful player Ğ he is much more than that. He is a really nice person," Allardyce was quoted as saying by thisislancashire.co.uk. "To be a Premier League player at 38 takes more than ability. You need the determination, the desire and the knowledge to go with it, and he has all of those things. That is what makes him such a good player. He is also a tremendously fit guy. I wish him all the best."
His dedication to the club was a main asset, of course, but his technical qualities were unmatched on his team. He played eight seasons as the Rovers anchorman, dictating the play from the midfield and also not backing down when it came to defending. Tugay’s 10 league goals are not that satisfying for a player on his level, but the fact that most of his points came from memorable long-distance strikes was another factor in his cult status.
Tugay was not the only Turkish footballer to play abroad, but he was probably the most successful. While some underachieved abroad like Hakan Şükür did in his Italian Serie A experiences, some failed to maintain consistency, as Emre Belözoğlu at Newcastle and Inter Milan. There was another group that made well, such as Nihat Kahveci, who became a prolific striker in Spanish La Liga with Real Sociedad and then Villarreal, but none of them could sustain their form at the very best, and none of them came close to become the team’s symbol player, like Tugay did.
At first, no one expected Kerimoğlu to be that big of a legend in British football, when he moved from Galatasaray to the Scottish side Glasgow Rangers in 2001. While his former team was walking to the UEFA Cup that season, such a transfer did not look to be the best career move, but his determination proved him right. His play in the Scottish giant was not enough to win the division that year, but it earned him a nickname "tough guy," a play on his name, by the coach Dick Advocaat.
Trophies and awards
The following year he was signed by the Rovers and was a part of the team that won the League Cup on his first year, despite missing the final. In two years, he would win the Rovers’ Player of the Year, not to mention winning the Goal of the Year twice.
At 36, he was still on top of his game. After a game against Manchester United, manager Sir Alex Ferguson had suggested that if he were 10 years younger, Tugay's ability would make him an ideal player for the Old Trafford team. The Rovers’ then manager Mark Hughes, however, did not wish him to be 10 years younger. "No, because if he was, he'd be playing in a Barcelona shirt," he would say.
After his retirement, Tugay said he would go on a long trip with his family but added that he would remain in England, both for his career and his children’s education. So, he will not be away from the game for too long.
"I will start to work with experienced names and start to get my coaching badges," Tugay told Turkish NTV Spor channel. "And when I feel ready, I will start [for a head coach job]." After eight years of representing his country in England in the best possible way, one can only hope that Tugay Kerimoğlu can maintain his stellar playing quality in his new career.
The 38-year-old Turkish international put an end to his football career in eye-watering fashion last Sunday, when he stepped on the Ewood Park pitch for the last time to play against West Bromwich Albion. It was not an important fixture on the last day of the English Premier League, as Blackburn had nothing to play for, while West Brom already clinched relegation, but it did not stop Rovers fans from nearly packing the stadium. They were there to bid a farewell to Tugay, the player who is considered to be among one of the best players to serve in the blue and white jersey.
"Tugay, you are our Turkish delight," read one of the many banners held by emotional Rovers fans, while hundreds wore Tugay’s masks on their face. The player responded in a similar fashion after the game, as he wore a T-shirt that read, "Thank you all for your support."
’I’ll miss you’
While the phrase "Nobody does it better" blared through the speakers, he took the microphone and said, "I love you and I'll miss you."
This requited love between Tugay and Rovers fans is not undeserved. The Turk played 230 league games for Blackburn, making him the club’s third most capped player in its Premier League history.
Blackburn coach Sam Allardyce paid tribute to the Turk.
"He is not just a skillful player Ğ he is much more than that. He is a really nice person," Allardyce was quoted as saying by thisislancashire.co.uk. "To be a Premier League player at 38 takes more than ability. You need the determination, the desire and the knowledge to go with it, and he has all of those things. That is what makes him such a good player. He is also a tremendously fit guy. I wish him all the best."
His dedication to the club was a main asset, of course, but his technical qualities were unmatched on his team. He played eight seasons as the Rovers anchorman, dictating the play from the midfield and also not backing down when it came to defending. Tugay’s 10 league goals are not that satisfying for a player on his level, but the fact that most of his points came from memorable long-distance strikes was another factor in his cult status.
Tugay was not the only Turkish footballer to play abroad, but he was probably the most successful. While some underachieved abroad like Hakan Şükür did in his Italian Serie A experiences, some failed to maintain consistency, as Emre Belözoğlu at Newcastle and Inter Milan. There was another group that made well, such as Nihat Kahveci, who became a prolific striker in Spanish La Liga with Real Sociedad and then Villarreal, but none of them could sustain their form at the very best, and none of them came close to become the team’s symbol player, like Tugay did.
At first, no one expected Kerimoğlu to be that big of a legend in British football, when he moved from Galatasaray to the Scottish side Glasgow Rangers in 2001. While his former team was walking to the UEFA Cup that season, such a transfer did not look to be the best career move, but his determination proved him right. His play in the Scottish giant was not enough to win the division that year, but it earned him a nickname "tough guy," a play on his name, by the coach Dick Advocaat.
Trophies and awards
The following year he was signed by the Rovers and was a part of the team that won the League Cup on his first year, despite missing the final. In two years, he would win the Rovers’ Player of the Year, not to mention winning the Goal of the Year twice.
At 36, he was still on top of his game. After a game against Manchester United, manager Sir Alex Ferguson had suggested that if he were 10 years younger, Tugay's ability would make him an ideal player for the Old Trafford team. The Rovers’ then manager Mark Hughes, however, did not wish him to be 10 years younger. "No, because if he was, he'd be playing in a Barcelona shirt," he would say.
After his retirement, Tugay said he would go on a long trip with his family but added that he would remain in England, both for his career and his children’s education. So, he will not be away from the game for too long.
"I will start to work with experienced names and start to get my coaching badges," Tugay told Turkish NTV Spor channel. "And when I feel ready, I will start [for a head coach job]." After eight years of representing his country in England in the best possible way, one can only hope that Tugay Kerimoğlu can maintain his stellar playing quality in his new career.