Yiğit Gökoğlan

Yiğit Gökoğlan
Personal information
Full nameYiğit İsmail Gökoğlan
Date of birthJune 5, 1989
Place of birthİzmir, Turkey
Height1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Playing positionWinger
Club information
Current team
Akhisar Belediyespor
Number39
Youth career
1999–2006Göztepe
2006–2008Manisaspor
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2008–2012Manisaspor88(6)
2008→ Altınordu (loan)14(1)
2012–2015Galatasaray8(1)
2012–2013→ Orduspor (loan)12(0)
2014→ Kayseri Erciyesspor (loan)11(0)
2015–Akhisar Belediyespor0(0)
National team‡
2008Turkey U199(1)
2008Turkey U202(0)
2009Turkey U219(2)
2011Turkey A21(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17 May 2014.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 10 February 2011

Yiğit İsmail Gökoğlan (born 5 June 1989) is a Turkish professional footballer who currently plays as a winger for Turkish Süper Lig club Akhisar Belediyespor.

Gökoğlan is also a youth international, having been capped at U-19, U-20, and U-21 levels for Turkey.

Early years

Gökoğlan was born in Konak, İzmir. His parents divorced at an early age and he lived with his father, seeing his mother on weekends. Originally a forward, Gökoğlan switched to the winger position after moving to Manisaspor. In 1999, Gökoğlan joined local club Aliağa. At the time, his school and the club's training grounds were near his home, allowing easy access to both. However, once his father decided to move to Turgutlu, a large town in Manisa Province, Gökoğlan was left at to live at the training facilities as a 14 year-old.[1]

Club career

Manisaspor

Levent Eriş, along with his assistant Hakan Şapçı, discovered Gökoğlan at a youth league match. They signed him to a youth contract with Manisaspor in 2006. As a 16-year old, Gökoğlan would train with the senior squad, while still competing in the youth leagues. In total, he made 44 appearances in the A2 league, scoring four goals. At the start of the 2007–08 season, Yilmaz Vural took over as manager. Gökoğlan was loaned out to TFF Third League outfit Altınordu during the winter break. He was unable to settle in at first, but began to feel better once the club started winning matches. At the end of the season, Altınordu missed out on direct promotion because of the goal difference rule. However, the team won promotion after defeating Bingöl Belediyespor and Keçiörengücü in the promotion play-offs. Gökoğlan made 14 appearances, scoring one goal.

Galatasaray

After months of speculation on his future, on 12 January 2012 it was announced that Yiğit joined Galatasaray on a 4 and a half year deal for a fee of €2.5 million.[2]

On 25 January 2012 he scored his first league goal for Galatasaray against MKE Ankaragücü on his debut in a 4-0 home win.[3]

International career

Gökoğlan was first called up to national duty in 2008, after a third round matchup against Aydınspor. He competed in six friendlies, before playing all three matches during 2008 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship elite qualification. Turkey finished third and did not progress. Gökoğlan was then called up to the U-20s, playing two friendlies against Finland. He has also been capped at U-21 level, playing in the Akdeniz Cup and 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification.

Honours

Galatasaray

References

  1. ↑ Mazlum Uluç (2 February 2009). "Yiğit İsmail Gökoğlan: "Düştüğümü zannederken yükseldim "" (in Turkish). tff.org. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
  2. ↑ "Yiğit Gökoğlan Galatasaray'da". galatasaray.org. 12 January 2012. Retrieved January 2012.
  3. ↑ "Galatasaray vs Ankaragücü". Goal. 25 January 2012. Retrieved January 2012.

External links

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