Serdar Özkan

Serdar Özkan — Biography

Serdar Özkan was born on 1 January 1987 in Düzce and began playing football at Beşiktaş at age 12. While playing for Beşiktaş's reserve side in 2002-03, he was called up to the first team by manager Mircea Lucescu and was part of the club's Champions League squad at just 16; he made his official debut in a Turkish Cup match against Kocaelispor in December 2003.

Early in his career the winger went out on loan to İstanbulspor, Akçaabat Sebatspor and Samsunspor before returning to the Beşiktaş first team under manager Ertuğrul Sağlam in 2007-08, scoring the opening goal in a Champions League win over Liverpool that October. He made 31 appearances in 2008-09 as Beşiktaş won the Süper Lig and Turkish Cup double. In 2010, on the recommendation of Arda Turan, he transferred to Galatasaray, but struggled for playing time there and later called the move the biggest mistake of his career; his contract was mutually terminated in January 2011.

He went on to play for Ankaragücü, Samsunspor, Şanlıurfaspor, Elazığspor, Eskişehirspor, Antalyaspor and Gençlerbirliği. Özkan represented Turkey at every youth level and was called up to the senior national team a total of 73 times, earning 68 caps.