In 2002, John Toshack, and ex-Besiktas coach brought Nihat to Real Sociedad where he began playing as a forward instead of on the right wing. As a result of this change, Nihat quickly flourished. In addition, in the 02/03 La Liga season, Nihat formed a deadly partnership with Serbian forward Darko Kovacevic. Nihat managed to score 23 goals in 35 matches and was the third higest scoring player in the La Liga that season, behined Roy Makaay’s 29 and was tied with Ronaldo. Nihat continued to score in the following three seasons but in 2006 Nihat moved to Villarreal.

In 2006, Nihat suffered a crippling injury that forced him to sit out for a good portion of the 06/07 season. However nihat once again managed to shine in the 2007/2008 La Liga season managing to find the net 23 times in 34 matches which was instrumental in leading Villarreal to a second place finish.

Nihat is a naural goal scorer and is able to pull goals out of the hat right when its necessary. His calm composure and eye for goal makes him deadly on one-on-one situations and in the penalty box. If Turkey is going to do anything this summer, Nihat must be on top form, especially since he will most likely be playing alone up front.

Emre Belözoğlu began football in one of Istanbul’s lower league teams, Zeytinburnuspor. Emre was spotted by Galatasaray scouts while playing at the young age of 14. They were immediatly impressed by his awesome ball control skills, his ability to get past defenders, and perhaps most importantly his amazing left foot. At the age of 16, Galatasaray’s legendary coach, Fatih Terim (now coach of the Turkish national team), brought him into the first team. Towards the end of the season, during a title determining game agaisnt rivals Besiktas, Emre entered the game with the score tied at 2-2. Then out of nowhere, Emre scored a stunning left-footed strike, winning the game and the title.

Emre continued to develop his skill with Galatasaray. Romanian super-star Gheorghe Hagi called him the “most gifted left-footed player” that he had seen. It seemed that the sky was the limit for Emre as he won four titles, 2 Turkish cups, 1 UEFA cup, and 1 UEFA Super Cup with Galatasaray by the age of 21. Many European clubs had wanted his signature, but it was Inter that Emre decided to sign with on a free transfer in the summer of 2001.

With Inter, Emre really began to hone his skills. The Inter faithful called him the “Maradona of the Bosphorous” and his was given the “Golden Pirate” award as the best Inter player after the 2002-2003 season where Inter reached the semi-finals of the champions league. However after an injury plagued season, Emre decided to leave Inter for english side Newcastle United.

At Newcastle, Emre once again gained a great run of form. However his persistent injuries hamper his efforts at the English club. At the age of 27 Emre is once again on the transfer list and is linked with a move to Bayern Munich and even his old club Galatasaray.

Despite his problems at teh club level, Emre has been a consistent preformer for the national team. Hi sgoal against Norway is the only reason why Turkey is in the finals anyway. His left footed shots, sheer strength in the small body, and his ability to see the best pass makes Emre vital for the national side.

Our first player, for no particular reason, will be Tuncay Sanli.

Tuncay grew up in the Turkish town of Sakarya, hometown of Turkish legend Hakan Sukur. After being spotted by scouts, he was signed on to Sakaryaspor and made his league debut at the age of 18. After scoring 32 goals in 66 matches, he was signed on by Turkish “big club” Fenerbahce and was brought to Istanbul at the age of 20.

Indeed it was at Fenerbahce that Tuncay really shined. He managed to avoid the Istanbul nightlife that is known for destroying many young starlets and put his entire mind and body on the pitch. He quickly became a fan favorite with his incessant desire for victory and putting his team ahead of himself. Tuncay first caught the attention of European eyes after a 2004 champions league match against Manchester United in which he scored a marvelous hat-trick, being the only player other than Ronaldo to do so. In 154 matches for Fenerbahce, Tuncay Sanli scored 59 matches.

In the summer of 2007, Tuncay moved on a free transfer to English side Middlesbrough. In his first season in the premier league, Tuncay scored 8 goals in 34 appearences, including a game winner against Arsenal. Not bad for his first season.

Coach Fatih Terim has already stated that Tuncay is a vital part of the Turkish team. In 51 appearences for the national side, Tuncay has scored 14 goals. He has the potential to get even better, which can only be great for the national side.