Okay Yokuşlu

Okay Yokuşlu — Biography

Okay Yokuşlu was born on March 9, 1994, in the Konak district of İzmir. He took up football at nine at the Karşıyaka sports school before joining Altay's academy in 2004. Scoring against Bucaspor on October 6, 2009, at the age of fifteen, he became the youngest goalscorer in Turkish professional football, a record he held until 2014; he signed his first pro contract with Altay in January 2010, and shortly after a header against Orduspor made him the youngest scorer in First League history.

After standing out at Altay he signed with Kayserispor in summer 2011 for reportedly the club's highest-ever fee, spending four seasons there before joining Trabzonspor in 2015. His form there earned him a 2018 move to Spain's Celta de Vigo; he spent early 2021 on loan with English side West Bromwich Albion, then went on loan again to Spain's Getafe in January 2022, before leaving Celta Vigo that July to sign a three-year deal with West Bromwich Albion, where he was voted the club's 2022-23 Player of the Year. He returned to Trabzonspor in July 2024.

Yokuşlu helped Turkey reach the last 16 of the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup with a goal against Australia, made his senior debut against Greece in November 2015, and went on to feature for Turkey at Euro 2020 and Euro 2024. He is a cousin of fellow professional footballer Erdi Yokuşlu.