Oğuzhan Özyakup

Oğuzhan Özyakup (born 23 September 1992), also known as Ozzie or Ozzy, is a Turkish professional footballer who plays for Eredivisie club Fortuna Sittard as a midfielder.

Born in Zaandam, the Netherlands, Özyakup has previously featured for clubs AZ and Arsenal.

While at Arsenal, he won the 2008–09 and 2009–10 Premier Academy League, as well as the 2008–09 FA Youth Cup.

Özyakup signed for Arsenal on schoolboy forms on 1 September 2008, going on to play regularly for Arsenal's Academy.

With the Academy, Özyakup won the Premier Academy League of 2008–09 and 2009–10.

He also was triumphant in lifting the FA Youth Cup of 2008–09 with the Gunners.

On 28 August 2011, Özyakup was named a substitute for the Premier League match against Manchester United in which the London-based club suffered a heavy 8–2 defeat.

He made his competitive first-team debut in September 2011 in a League Cup match against Shrewsbury Town, where he supplied the assist for Yossi Benayoun to round off the match 3–1.

Özyakup was an unused substitute in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie to Milan, which Arsenal won 3–0 on the night but lost 4–3 on aggregate.

Özyakup represented Netherlands at U-17 which he also captained and, U-19 levels until he switched to represent Turkey in 2012.

He represented Turkey 7 times at U-21 level, scoring twice.

Beşiktaş J.K. completed the signing of Özyakup from Arsenal, on 8 June 2012 for a €500,000 transfer fee with a reported 4 season of length and €400,000 wage per annum until the end of 2015–16 season.

On 19 August 2012, He made his Süper Lig debut on matchday 1 of 2012–13 season, up against İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor, ended 1–1.

He completed 2012–13 season with 2 goals and 7 assists in 18 games at Süper Lig and 1 assists in 2 games at Turkish Cup.

Earned his first senior international cap in 2013, Özyakup is a current Turkish international, being a part of Euro 2016 squad, representing the nation 42 times and scoring once.

Özyakup was born in Zaandam, Netherlands, to Turkish parents from the city of Trabzon who emigrated to the Netherlands.

His father is into the wholesale nourishment business.

Oğuzhan is the youngest of two siblings.

Özyakup began his career at Zaandam Türkspor, a local amateur club which Dutch players with Turkish descent were predominantly recruited, where he later caught the attraction of AZ officials.

He was invited to trials of AZ at age 11, in which he succeeded and was recruited.

On 29 August 2013, he scored his first goal at European competitions at 2nd leg of play-off round of 2013–14 UEFA Europa League encounter up against Norwegian outfit Tromsø IL, ended 2–0 for favour of Beşiktaş.

He picked up a calf injury in 2013 February and was unable to play between matchdays 5 and 8.

On 5 June 2014, Özyakup's contract was reportedly renewed with an increased progressive wage increase up to €1.1 million until end of 2018–19 season, along with his teammate Olcay Şahan.

At the professional level, Özyakup has won the 2015–16 and 2016–17 Süper Lig with Beşiktaş.

He opened the 2015–16 season with three assists against Mersin İdman Yurdu in week 1, ended 5–2, serviced respectively to Cenk Tosun and Olcay Şahan.

In week 3, he scored the opener of the away game directly from a set-piece against Gaziantepspor, which ended 4–0 in favour of Beşiktaş.

He assisted the second strike of German international Mario Gómez against Eskişehirspor in week 7 game played away, ended 2–1.

He produced another assist to Olcay Şahan in week 9 game played away against Antalyaspor, ended 5–1 for Beşiktaş.

Özyakup earned and converted a penalty kick to secure 1 points for Beşiktaş on dying minutes of week 10 game while Kasımpaşaspor were being trailed by Beşiktaş with 3–2.

He scored the winner of week 11 game against Bursaspor by assist of Atiba Hutchinson, ended 1–0.

He scored with a mid-range shot outside the box in additional time of week 12 game against Sivasspor, ended 2–0.

In week 17, he scored the opened the score with a serial of comfortable dribbling over 2 defenders and goalkeeper, following the assist of Mario Gómez, against Konyaspor, ended 4–0.

On 22 October 2015, Özyakup assisted Mario Gómez on UEFA Europa League group stage week 3 game against FC Lokomotiv Moscow, ended 1–1.

He scored his first goal of the second half of Süper Lig on week 20's home game against Gaziantepspor, ended 4–0, with assist of Gökhan Töre.

He represented the captaincy of Beşiktaş for the first time, as a part of starting line-up at Turkish Cup quarter finals encounter away against Konyaspor, ended 1–0 for home side, on 3 March 2016.

He assisted Kerim Frei in week 25 game against Çaykur Rizespor, ended 2–1 for Beşiktaş.

In week 26, he scored sole goal of the game against Antalyaspor, ended 1–0.

He assisted the goal of Argentine play-maker José Sosa at game of week 27 in which Beşiktaş were defeated by Kasımpaşaspor 2–1, on 4 April 2016.

He scored the first goal -scored by a Turkish player- at Vodafone Park at Süper Lig encounter against Kayserispor on 30 April 2016, ended 4–0.

He recovered from his injury, returned onto field on match day 9 encounter against Akhisarspor at Manisa 19 Mayıs Stadium, ended 3–3 in which he scored the 2nd goal of Beşiktaş.