Tuncay Sanli
Encyclopedia
Tuncay Şanlı or simply Tuncay, is a Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

 footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....

, on loan from VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...

.

His natural position is as a striker, but he can also play as an attacking midfielder or on either wing. Tuncay captains the Turkish national team
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...

. He was in the Turkey team that finished in third place in both the 2003 Confederations Cup
2003 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's...

 and the 2008 European Championships.

Fenerbahçe

He caught the eye of Turkish Süper Lig giants Fenerbahçe in 2002 at the age of 20 after impressive displays for his hometown club Sakaryaspor
Sakaryaspor
Sakaryaspor is a Turkish football club, formed in 1965 after the merger Yıldırımspor, Idmanyurdu, Güneşspor and Ada Gençlik....

 in the Turkish second tier. He signed a five-year contract with Fenerbahçe, and during this time, he won the Turkish league title on three occasions. He made his competitive debut for Fenerbahçe in a Süper Lig match against Gaziantepspor
Gaziantepspor
Gaziantepspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Gaziantep. Formed in 1969, Gaziantepspor are nicknamed the Şahinler . The club colours are black and red, and they play their home matches at Kamil Ocak Stadyumu....

 on 11 September 2002.

On 8 December 2004, Tuncay became only the second person to ever score a Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

 hat-trick against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

, and the first Turkish person to score a hattrick in the Champions League. Tuncay always stated that his dream was to eventually play for a European Club, and moved away from Fenerbahçe on a Bosman transfer.

During his five years at the club, he scored a total of 12 Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

 goals in 26 appearances for Fenerbahçe. His first being against Panathinaikos in a 4–1 defeat in the second round of the 2002–03 UEFA Cup.

After he had left Fenerbahçe, his former manager, Brazilian Legend Zico
Zico
Arthur Antunes Coimbra , better known as Zico , is a Brazilian coach and former footballer. He is the current head coach of the Iraq national football team. Often called the "White Pelé", he is commonly considered one of the most skilled finishers and one of the best passers ever and possibly the...

, stated:
"Tuncay has been a great loss to us, he was the one giving us the soul and the hope. Now that he is gone we miss that piece of soul and hope. He is a great person, and I wish him the best of luck in his new team. Even though he is now gone, I still wish he will come back."

Middlesbrough

On 13 June 2007, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...

 confirmed they had agreed personal terms with Tuncay and the move was now subject to a medical. Tuncay arrived in Middlesbrough on 18 June 2007, having signed a four-year contract. After passing his medical on 22 June 2007, he attained a work permit on 4 July 2007, and completed his free transfer.

In July 2007, Tuncay was interviewed by the Evening Gazette
Evening Gazette (Teesside)
The Evening Gazette is a newspaper serving the Teesside area of England. It is published by the Gazette Media Company Ltd, which is a regional arm of the Trinity Mirror group. The Evening Gazette is written and published in Middlesbrough, along with many other publications...

 and talked about his ambitions for the upcoming season. He said:
"My aim was to play in Europe one day and I have done that in previous seasons. It is also very important for me to play in the Premier League and that, too, is going to happen. But I want to get Middlesbrough back into Europe. That is my target."

On 15 July 2007, Tuncay made his debut in Boro shirt against German team Schalke 04 in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

.

Known for his passionate affinity with fans at his beloved Fenerbahçe, Tuncay developed the same kind of relationship with the fans of Middlesbrough. His efforts were not unnoticed, with Middlesbrough supporters singing in his favour, "We've only got one player!" in reference to their admiration of his non-stop attitude.

Tuncay's endless energy and passion shown during matches has won him many plaudits. In May 2009, Matt Le Tissier of Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...

 acknowledged his performances:
"If they [Boro] had 11 Tuncay's they'd be in the top half of the table; this boy is quality, he works his socks off as well. He showed great technique with the overhead kick and was a great example for the rest of the team – it's just a shame there are not a few more like him in the side."

The 2008–09 season saw him pick up all four of the club's major awards for 2009: the Players Player of the Year, Garmin
Garmin
Garmin Ltd. , incorporated in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, is the parent company of a group of companies founded in 1989 by Gary Burrell and Min Kao , that develops consumer, aviation, and marine technologies for the Global Positioning System...

 Player of the Year, the Middlesbrough FC Official Supporters’ Club Prize and the Terrace Legends Award. He won the Player of the Year with a massive 75% of the vote.

Although the 2008–09 season was a successful one for Tuncay, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...

 were relegated to the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

 after a terrible season, which saw them create a new club-record, and match a League record of 12 consecutive away defeats. Tuncay had expressed his desire to continue playing in the Premier League. However, he began the 2009–10 season as a Boro player and played in 3 matches in the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

, coming on as a substitute in all 3 games. He scored two goals in the process: the third goal in a 3–0 victory away to Swansea City in the second league game of the season, and the following week, scored the first goal in a 2–0 victory against Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...

, scoring within 60 seconds of coming on.

He turned down the chance to move abroad, after German Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...

 clubs Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...

 and Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...

 and Spanish La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...

 side Villareal
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...

 making offers for him, in favour of staying in England. Prior to the end of the transfer window
Transfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...

, he left Middlesbrough and joined Premier League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...

 side Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...

.
Season 2007–08

Tuncay took time to settle in the Premier League. He went 12 league games without a goal but then scored 3 in 3 games. The first was a headed goal from a Luke Young cross, on 1 December 2007 in a 1–1 draw against Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...

. The second, the following week, was the winner in a 2–1 victory over Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

. His third, in a 1–0 victory over Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...

, was a superb volley from a Stewart Downing
Stewart Downing
Stewart Downing is an English footballer who plays for Liverpool and the England national team. Primarily a winger, Downing has previously played for Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and Sunderland.-Middlesbrough:...

 cross which won the BBC Match of the Day Goal of the Month
Goal of the Month (England)
The Goal of the Month is a monthly segment on BBC's Match of the Day television programme, in honour of the best goal scored each month. The segment has been featured on the programme since the 1970–71 season...

 award for December 2007, and was later nominated for Goal of the Season.

On 29 December 2007, he scored his fourth goal in Boro's 1–0 away victory against Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

 which was the first time in 54 years that Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...

 had won at Fratton Park
Fratton Park
Fratton Park is a football stadium in the English city-port of Portsmouth. It has been the home of professional club Portsmouth F.C. since its construction in 1898.-Description:...

 in the top flight. His next goal was a seventh minute header against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

 to give Middlesbrough the lead. However, a Fernando Torres
Fernando Torres
Fernando José Torres Sanz , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Spain national team as a striker....

 hattrick, meant Middlesbrough lost 3–2 at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...

. On the 31st match day of the season he again scored the winning goal against Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...

 in a match that ended 1–0. Tuncay then scored two goals against Sunderland and Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

 later on in the season to take his tally to eight goals for the season. In his first season for Middlesbrough he was their second leading goal scorer behind Stewart Downing with nine.
Season 2008–09

Tuncay started off the season brightly, his first league goal being the winner against Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...

, in the third league game of the season. After a knee injury while playing for Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...

 against Belgium in the World Cup Qualifiers in early September 2008, Tuncay was sidelined for five weeks. He returned to first team action against Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....

 on 10 October, and scored an overhead kick goal which was wrongly ruled out for offside. Tuncay scored his first brace in the Premier League in a 2–1 away win at Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

 on 9 November 2008.

In December 2008, newspapers speculated that he was wanted by Chelsea in the January 2009 transfer window, in a rumoured £8 million bid by Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari , ComIH , also known as Felipão in Brazil and Phil Scolari in the United Kingdom, is a World Cup-winning Brazilian football manager. He is currently the manager of Palmeiras. He served as the manager of the Portuguese national team from July 12, 2003 to June 30, 2008...

. Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate in Crawley, West Sussex is a retired English footballer and ex-manager. He is known as the "Penalty Misser of '96." He served as manager of Middlesbrough from June 2006, until he was dismissed in October 2009...

 laughed off the rumours suggesting that Chelsea could get him for such a small fee, saying that if he was even to start to consider selling him, then Chelsea's bid would have to be much higher.

Tuncay scored two goals in as many games; during his side's 2–0 victories over both West Ham in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

 and against Liverpool in the league, with the latter bringing an end to both Liverpool's 15-match unbeaten run, and Boro's 14-match winless run in the league. The win against West Ham takes Boro to their fourth Quarter Final in the FA Cup in four consecutive seasons. Against Tottenham in March, he had 2 goals again ruled out for offside, in a game which Tottenham defeated Boro 4–0. April 2009 saw Tuncay score Boro's quickest goal of the season, just 3 minutes into the game. The match, against Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

, finished 3–1 to Middlesbrough in what was described as a "must-win game" by manager Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate in Crawley, West Sussex is a retired English footballer and ex-manager. He is known as the "Penalty Misser of '96." He served as manager of Middlesbrough from June 2006, until he was dismissed in October 2009...

.

In May 2009 he was named Boro's Player of the Year. On 16 May, in the penultimate game of the season, he scored a superb overhead kick goal against Aston Villa, which won him another BBC Goal of the Month
Goal of the Month (England)
The Goal of the Month is a monthly segment on BBC's Match of the Day television programme, in honour of the best goal scored each month. The segment has been featured on the programme since the 1970–71 season...

 award. In the vital game, an injury to captain Stewart Downing
Stewart Downing
Stewart Downing is an English footballer who plays for Liverpool and the England national team. Primarily a winger, Downing has previously played for Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and Sunderland.-Middlesbrough:...

 in the 23 minute meant that Tuncay took the captain's armband. This was the first time he has played as captain for Boro, and played a vital role in midfield.

Despite Tuncay's efforts, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...

 were relegated at the end of the 2008–09 season after suffering a 2–1 defeat away to West Ham. Middlesbrough had spent the whole second half of the season in the relegation zone. In the final game of the season Tuncay, Boro's captain, provided the assist to Boro's goal, however could not lead Middlesbrough to the win they desperately needed. In a disappointing season which saw Boro score only 28 league goals, Tuncay ended the season as their top scorer with 7 league goals, a quarter of Boro's total.

Stoke City

Tuncay signed for Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...

 on 28 August 2009 for a fee of £5 million and signed a four-year contract. He became manager Tony Pulis
Tony Pulis
Anthony Richard "Tony" Pulis is a Welsh former football player and is currently the manager of Stoke City. Pulis obtained his FA coaching badge at the age of 19, followed by his UEFA 'A' licence aged 21 – making him one of the youngest professional players ever to have obtained the qualification...

' fifth signing of the summer transfer window, having also signed his Middlesbrough teammate Robert Huth
Robert Huth
Robert Huth is a German footballer who plays as a centre back for Premier League club Stoke City.Huth was signed for Chelsea from the youth system of German club Union Berlin in 2001 by then Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri. He joined Middlesbrough in 2006 and spent three years at the Riverside...

 the previous day. He was eligible to play for Stoke the day after his transfer in the fourth league game of the season, and made his debut coming on as a substitute for Ricardo Fuller
Ricardo Fuller
Ricardo Dwayne Fuller is a Jamaican footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the Jamaica national team....

 in the 84th minute, against Sunderland at the Britannia Stadium
Britannia Stadium
The Britannia Stadium is an all-seater football stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, England and the home of Premier League club Stoke City Football Club. With space for 27,598 spectators . The name is taken from the sponsors of the Stadium the Britannia Co-operative Bank...

. He made his first start for Stoke in a third-round Carling Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

 game against Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...

, setting up two goals and winning a penalty. He continued to make only brief substitute appearances in the Premier League. A significant moment came during an away match to Hull
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

 on 8 November 2009, in which he was substituted off in the 87th minute after only coming on six minutes earlier. Although much was made after the event, Tuncay subsequently denied rumours that he was unhappy and insisted that his future lies with the Premier League club. After eight brief substitute league appearances, he made his first start away to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

 on 5 December 2009. He scored his first goal for Stoke in the Premier League on the 12 December 2009 in a home match against Wigan. He also scored the first premier league goal of 2010 when he headed a 12th minute goal against Fulham on 5 January. Over the course of the season Tuncay only started 13 games.

During pre-season for the 2010–11, Tuncay scored five goals in five games. However, the season started with Tuncay making just a handful of substitute appearances in the League. He has stated that he would like to be playing regular first team football, and would consider a move away in January 2011 in order to find this. He scored his first goal of the season against Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...

 in the League Cup. He followed this up with a stunning goal against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

 on 24 October 2010. On 27 November 2010, Tuncay played a major role in the 92nd minute against Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

, assisting Matthew Etherington
Matthew Etherington
Matthew Etherington is an English footballer. Etherington, a left-sided midfielder and winger, plays for Premier League club Stoke City....

 for an equalising goal in a 1–1 draw, described by the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...

 as "one of the finest back-heels the Premier League has ever seen". Tuncay made his final appearance for Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...

 against Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...

 in the Premier League on the 22 January 2011. He left Stoke on the final day of the January transfer window joining German side Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...

.

Wolfsburg

He joined German side Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...

 on the 31 January for a fee of €5.2 millon.

Bolton Wanderers (loan)

On 11 August 2011, Tuncay agreed to sign for Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....

 on a season-long loan, subject to international clearance, with a view to a £3 million permanent move at the loan's conclusion. The clearance was given on 23 August and Tuncay scored on his Bolton Wanderers debut in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

 tie against Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...

 a day later. He made his league debut on 27 August, coming on as a substitute for Chris Eagles
Chris Eagles
Christopher Mark "Chris" Eagles is an English footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers...

 in Bolton's 3-1 defeat at Liverpool.

International career

Tuncay is the vice-captain of the Turkey national team
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...

 behind Fenerbahçe's Emre Belözoğlu
Emre Belözoglu
Emre Belözoğlu is a Turkish football midfielder who plays for Fenerbahçe.Having also played for clubs Galatasaray, Internazionale, and Newcastle United, Emre has been a part of the Turkey national team at the 2002 World Cup and at Euro 2008 among other tournaments...

, and has scored 22 international goals in 80 appearances to date.

Tuncay has scored two international hattricks for Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...

. His first came against Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...

 in the 2006 World Cup qualifying
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
A total of 197 teams entered the qualification process for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, competing for a total of 32 spots in the final tournament. Germany, as the host, qualified automatically, leaving 31 spots open for competition...

 play-off match. The game ended 4–2, however the Swiss advanced due to the away goals rule, and meant Turkey would not play in the finals of the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...

. His second international hattrick came in November 2008 in a friendly with Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....

.

Confederations Cup 2003

Turkey took part in the FIFA Confederations Cup
2003 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's...

 for the first time in 2003 after finishing third at the World Cup the previous year. Tuncay made his full international debut for the Turkish national team on 19 June 2003, having been promoted the day before when he scored twice in a match for the Under-21 side.

His debut came against the USA
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...

. Just three minutes after the USA had taken the lead, he won a penalty after being fouled by Danny Califf
Danny Califf
Daniel Benjamin "Danny" Califf is an American soccer player who currently plays for the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...

 and Frankie Hejduk
Frankie Hejduk
Frank Daniel "Frankie" Hejduk is an American soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer. He formerly played as right back for Columbus Crew, where he was team captain, and the United States national team.-Youth and College:Hejduk attended San Dieguito High...

. He then went on to score the winner in the second half, after picking up Volkan Arslan
Volkan Arslan
Volkan Arslan is a Turkish international footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Eyüpspor in the TFF Second League. Arslan played for Turkey at the U-16, U-17 and U-18 levels before he made his debut for the senior team in 2003.-Club career:Arslan began his career with local...

's cross to slot the ball past the USA keeper Tim Howard
Tim Howard
Timothy Matthew Howard is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for English club Everton and the United States national team....

.

He went on to score three goals and get an assist which won him the Silver Shoe Award and the Silver Ball Award, for the second best player, at the competition. Turkey finished in third place. He won many plaudits during the competition, with British press claiming that Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...

 "have unearthed a gem". Tuncay, along with Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...

's Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Omar Batistuta , nicknamed Batigol, is a former professional footballer. The prolific Argentine striker played most of his club football at Fiorentina in Italy, and he is the tenth top scorer of all-time in the Italian Serie A league, with 184 goals in 318 matches...

, currently holds the record for scoring the quickest goal in the history of the Confederations Cup
FIFA Confederations Cup
The FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...

 for scoring within 120 seconds.

Euro 2008

During the qualifying rounds of the tournament, Tuncay played eleven games, scoring three goals. He won his 50th international cap on 21 November 2007 in the final qualification game against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Turkey won 1–0 which secured a place in the finals of Euro 2008 the following summer.

Tuncay played a major part in Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...

's progression to the semi-finals in Austria and Switzerland, as Turkey came from behind to win three games and earn the title "Comeback Kings".

In the final group-stage game of Euro 2008, against the Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...

, Tuncay went in goal to play as a goalkeeper for the final few minutes, after starting goalkeeper Volkan Demirel was sent off for a push on Jan Koller
Jan Koller
Jan Koller is Czech footballer currently playing in AFK Smetanova Lhota.As an international player he played as a striker for the Czech Republic national team. He is the all-time leading goal scorer for either the Czech Republic or the former Czechoslovakia, with 55 goals in 91 caps...

, and Turkey having made all their substitutions.

He picked up a second yellow card in the quarter-finals against Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...

 which meant that he was suspended for the semi-finals against Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....

. Drawing 2–2 until the 90th minute, having just scored minutes earlier to bring the score level, Turkey were undone by a German team who themselves had to come from behind to win the game. Tuncay registed two assists, in his four games during the 2008 European Championships finals.

2010 World Cup

After a World Cup qualifier on 6 September 2008 between Armenia
Armenia national football team
The Armenia national football team represents Armenia in association football and is controlled by the Football Federation of Armenia, the governing body for football in Armenia...

 and Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...

, two sides which have historical political problems, both teams received a FIFA Fair Play Award
FIFA Fair Play Award
The FIFA Fair Play Award is a FIFA recognition of good or sporting behaviour or other actions by people or bodies involved in :association football around the world. First awarded in 1987, it has been presented to individuals , teams, fans, spectators, football associations/federations and even...

 for 2008. As captain of the side, Tuncay collected the award on behalf of the team in January 2009. During the qualifying round Tuncay managed three goals and two assists in the seven games he played, although Turkey failed to qualify from Group 5
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - UEFA Group 5
The 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group 5 was a UEFA qualifying group for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The group comprised European champions Spain, Turkey, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Armenia and Estonia....

.

Playing style

He is most suited to playing in the 'hole' or as a second striker, but can also play right across the midfield and in attack.

Club

Club performance League Cup League Cup Europe Total
Club Division Season Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
 England England League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...

FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

Carling Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

Europe Total
Bolton
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....

Premier League 2011–12
2011–12 Premier League
The 2011–12 Premier League is the twentieth season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2011–12 fixtures were announced on 17 June 2011 at 9:00 BST. The season began on 13 August 2011 and is due to end on 13 May 2012...

5 0 0 0 1 1 6 1
Club Total 5 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 6 1
 Germany Germany League
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...

Fed Cup League Cup Europe Total
Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...

Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...

2010–11
2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga
The 2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 48th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on the weekend of 21 August 2010 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions and ended with the last games on 14 May 2011. The winter...

4 0 0 0 4 0
Club Total 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
 England England League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...

FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

Carling Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

Europe Total
Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...

Premier League 2010–11
2010–11 Premier League
The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011...

14 1 1 1 3 1 18 3
2009–10 30 4 5 1 2 0 37 5
Club Total 44 5 6 2 5 1 0 0 55 8
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...

Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

2009–10 3 2 0 0 0 0 3 2
Premier League 2008–09 33 7 4 1 0 0 37 8
2007–08 34 8 3 0 1 0 38 8
Club Total 70 17 7 1 1 0 0 0 78 18
 Turkey Turkey League
Turkish football league system
The Turkish football system is divided into the following leagues.Promotion and relegation can occur through every league. This means a club in the Amateur Leagues may be promoted to the top flight Süper Lig. There are two stages to being promoted to the Turkish Third League. First, provinces who...

Türkiye Kupası Süper Kupa
Turkish Super Cup
The TFF Süper Kupa, as it is currently known, is the annual super cup football match contested between the previous season's Süper Lig champions and the Turkish Cup winners in Turkey. It was originally known as the Cumhurbaşkanlığı Kupası from 1966 to 1998. No competition was held between 1999 and...

Europe Total
Fenerbahçe  Süper Lig 2006–07 33 9 6 1 12 6 51 16
2005–06 30 15 8 1 5 0 43 16
2004–05 31 7 5 1 8 5 44 13
2003–04 31 19 4 3 0 0 35 22
2002–03 29 9 1 0 1 1 31 10
Club Total 154 59 24 6 0 0 26 12 204 77
Sakaryaspor
Sakaryaspor
Sakaryaspor is a Turkish football club, formed in 1965 after the merger Yıldırımspor, Idmanyurdu, Güneşspor and Ada Gençlik....

First League
TFF First League
The TFF First League is the second level of the Turkish football league system. The league was founded in 2000 after it was separated from the Turkish Second League Category B during reorganizing Second League, who was second level of Turkish league between 1963–2001...

2001–02
TFF First League
The TFF First League is the second level of the Turkish football league system. The league was founded in 2000 after it was separated from the Turkish Second League Category B during reorganizing Second League, who was second level of Turkish league between 1963–2001...

35 16 2 1 37 17
2000–01
TFF First League
The TFF First League is the second level of the Turkish football league system. The league was founded in 2000 after it was separated from the Turkish Second League Category B during reorganizing Second League, who was second level of Turkish league between 1963–2001...

31 16 0 0 31 16
Club Total 66 32 2 1 0 0 0 0 68 33
TOTAL Turkey 220 91 26 7 26 12 272 110
Germany 4 0 0 0 4 0
England 116 22 13 3 7 2 136 27
CAREER TOTAL 340 113 39 10 7 2 26 12 412 137
Correct as of 25 August 2011

Club appearance data


European Cup goals


International goals


 Turkey Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...

  • FIFA Confederations Cup 2003
    2003 FIFA Confederations Cup
    The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's...

     3rd place
  • UEFA Euro 2008 Semi-finals
  • FIFA Fair Play Award
    FIFA Fair Play Award
    The FIFA Fair Play Award is a FIFA recognition of good or sporting behaviour or other actions by people or bodies involved in :association football around the world. First awarded in 1987, it has been presented to individuals , teams, fans, spectators, football associations/federations and even...

     2008

 Turkey Fenerbahçe

  • 2004
    Süper Lig 2003-04
    Süper Lig 2003-04 was the 46th league, and the third Süper Lig. Fenerbahçe won their 15th title, being 4 points ahead Trabzonspor.Since Turkey dropped from eighth to tenth place in the UEFA association coefficient rankings at the end of the 2002–03 season, the league has lost two of its UEFA Cup...

     Turkish Süper Lig Champion
  • 2005
    Süper Lig 2004-05
    2004-2005 Turkish Super League were 47th edition of Turkish league and 4th edition of Turkish Super League. Fenerbahçe won their 16th title, being 3 points ahead Trabzonspor and 4 points ahead Galatasaray. In the final fixture, Diyarbakırspor were 1 point behind Sakaryaspor...

     Turkish Süper Lig Champion
  • 2007 Turkish Süper Lig Champion

Individual

  • FIFA Confederations Cup 2003
    2003 FIFA Confederations Cup
    The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's...

     Silver Ball winner
  • FIFA Confederations Cup 2003
    2003 FIFA Confederations Cup
    The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's...

     Silver Shoe winner
  • 2006 Fenerbahçe Player of the Year
  • 2007 Fenerbahçe Player of the Year
  • 2009 Players Player of the Year
  • 2009 Garmin
    Garmin
    Garmin Ltd. , incorporated in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, is the parent company of a group of companies founded in 1989 by Gary Burrell and Min Kao , that develops consumer, aviation, and marine technologies for the Global Positioning System...

     Player of the Year
  • 2009 Middlesbrough FC Official Supporters’ Club Prize
  • 2009 Terrace Legends Award
  • BBC
    BBC
    The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

     Goal of the Month Award
    Goal of the Month (England)
    The Goal of the Month is a monthly segment on BBC's Match of the Day television programme, in honour of the best goal scored each month. The segment has been featured on the programme since the 1970–71 season...

    : December 2007, May 2009
  • Middlesbrough top scorer: 2008–09
  • 2009 North East Player of the Year: Third Place

External links

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