Oğuzhan Özyakup

Oğuzhan Özyakup — Biography

Oğuzhan Özyakup is an attacking midfielder who was born in the Netherlands, came through Arsenal's academy and spent his longest spell in Turkish football at Beşiktaş. Known by the nickname "Ozzy", he is a former Beşiktaş captain. In August 2024, at 31, he announced his retirement.

The son of a family from Trabzon, Özyakup started at Zaandam Türkspor and then moved to AZ's academy. He joined Arsenal in 2008, and with the academy won the 2008-09 FA Youth Cup and the Premier Academy League in 2008-09 and 2009-10; in 2011 he made his first-team debut in a League Cup match against Shrewsbury Town. In June 2012 he moved to Beşiktaş, scored his first European goal against Tromsø in 2013 and in 2015-16 contributed 10 goals and 8 assists in roughly 41 games. He won the Süper Lig with Beşiktaş in 2015-16 and 2016-17, was loaned to Feyenoord in the first half of 2020 and scored in his first match there. In 2022 he signed a two-year contract with Fortuna Sittard and scored in his first game.

As a youth he represented the Netherlands, captaining the under-17 and under-19 sides and playing in the under-17 European Championship final. He chose Turkey in 2012, scoring twice in 7 matches for the under-21s, and made his senior debut in 2013 before being in the EURO 2016 squad. In all he won 42 senior caps and scored once.