Player Focus: Young Super Lig Players To Keep An Eye On This Season
The Super Lig is in full swing and just like every season budding, young players are being tipped to metamorphose into the next Messi or Ronaldo. Few wonder-kids ever live up to their billing but we look at a few rising stars who may just make a name for themselves this season.
Bruma (Galatasaray)
The 19-year-old Portuguese international has been touted as the next Cristiano Ronaldo. That may sound a tad hyperbolic at this early stage in his career but there is no denying Bruma’s talent. The young winger burst onto the scene in the 2013 U20 World Cup scoring five times in four games and picking up the Silver Shoe award before being signed by Galatasaray for €10 million.
Bruma missed much of last season due to a serious knee injury but has hit the ground running since his return. The youngster possesses blistering pace, can play on either wing and is not afraid to take on defenders with his impressive dribbling ability. The 19-year-old has been averaging 2.5 successful dribbles per game in the league and really shone from the bench in the latest Champions League match against Anderlecht. Bruma is still a diamond in the rough but the Portuguese international is starting to sparkle.
Ozan Tufan (Bursaspor)
The 19-year-old is a versatile player who can play at right-back, defensive midfield and right-midfield positions. Bursaspor manager Şenol Güneş has a history of finding players’ strongest positions. He transformed Burak Yılmaz from an underperforming winger into one of the leagues most prolific strikers so Tufan is definitely in safe hands.
The assiduous midfielder works tirelessly, closing down the opposition and has averaged 2 tackles and 3 interceptions per game this season. Tufan has been deployed in holding midfield positions for his tenacity and physical presence but he is also a gifted dribbler and not afraid to take players on. In fact, with an average of 2.5 successful dribbles per game he is joint fifth in the league alongside Bruma. It is little wonder that Güneş has been experimenting with him in attacking midfield. Tufan is an exciting prospect and under the guidance of Güneş he has potential to thrive this season.
Oğuzhan Özyakup (Beşiktaş)
Arsenal academy aficionados will be familiar with their former youth player. Arsene Wenger admitted he was proud with how Özyakup had progressed since leaving Arsenal ahead of the Gunners’ Champions League playoff against Beşiktaş last month. The 21-year-old almost made Wenger regret letting him go and had it not been for Demba Ba and Olcay Şahan’s profligacy he would have had two assists in the first-leg.
Özyakup is the brains in the Beşiktaş midfield responsible for pulling the strings and he is the architect behind most of the Eagles attacking moves. The slick-passing midfielder already has 2 assists this season and if Beşiktaş are to mount a serious title challenge he will undoubtedly play a key role.
Enes Ünal (Bursaspor)
For years Turkish football has had an abundance of midfielders but lacked options upfront. There was of course the Bull of the Bosporus – Hakan Şükür – and more recently Burak Yılmaz but the Bursaspor teenage prodigy could end up surpassing his predecessors. Ünal entered the history books last season becoming the youngest ever goalscorer in the Turkish Süper Lig at the age of just 16.
The young striker scored 170 goals in 102 games in the Coca Cola Academy League as well as 24 goals in 25 appearances for the U16 Turkish National Team and was recently invited to join the Turkey U21 side. Ünal turned down an offer to join Chelsea’s academy last season in favour of playing first team football for the Green Crocodiles, for whom he scored three times in 13 appearances. Ünal has yet to feature for Bursaspor in the league this season but considering Güneş refused to let the striker leave this summer we are bound to see him in action over the next few weeks.
Ali Adnan (Rizespor)
The 2013 AFC Youth Player of the Year has had a pretty busy summer. When he wasn’t training Adnan was rumoured to be fighting ISIS in Iraq. The reports surrounding his heroics on the battlefield are shrouded in mystery and while it is highly unlikely that he was on the front lines, back in Turkey he has been battling away on the pitch.
Adnan first made a name for himself helping guide the Iraq U20 national team to the semi-finals of the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Adnan’s nickname is the ‘Asian Gareth Bale’ due to his explosive pace. Adnan carries out his defensive duties well, averaging 2 tackles and 2.5 interceptions per game thus far, but likes to spend as much time as he can venturing into the opposition half. The 20-year-old left-back loves to bomb forwards into attacking positions and has a reputation as something of a set-piece specialist among the Rizespor faithful. It would not be a surprise to see the Iraqi join a more competitive team next season.
Which youngsters are you most looking forward to watching in the 2014/15 Turkish Super Lig? Let us know in the comments below
