Umut Güzelses

Umut Güzelses — Biography

Umut Güzelses is a Turkish-Israeli former footballer. His career ran from the Hapoel Tel Aviv academy in Israel to Fenerbahçe, and from there to Hacettepe, Anadolu Üsküdar 1908 and Kastamonuspor in the second tier and below. His family moved from Istanbul to Israel when he was three, so he began his career there and also took Israeli citizenship.

He started out in the Hapoel Tel Aviv academy and joined Fenerbahçe in 2005. Instead of Israel's long compulsory service he did a three-month term in the Turkish army, keeping his Turkish citizenship. While playing for Fenerbahçe's reserve side in 2006-07 he appeared twice for the first team in the Turkish Cup, and on November 11, 2006, he came on in the 89th minute against Sivasspor for his Fenerbahçe debut. On January 17, 2007, he played for Turkey's under-21 side against Albania.

His form at Fenerbahçe's 2007 summer camp in Austria put him into coach Zico's squad, and on June 1, 2007, he signed a four-year contract with the club. In the following years he went out on loan to Hapoel Tel Aviv and Maccabi Herzliya in Israel and, in 2009-10, to Hacettepe in the Turkish second tier. He continued his career with one season each at Anadolu Üsküdar 1908 and Kastamonuspor.