Alpaslan Öztürk (born 16 July 1993) is a professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a
right-back and
midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...
for
TFF First League
The TFF 1. Lig (), currently referred to as Trendyol 1. Lig for sponsorship reasons, is the second level of the Turkish football league system. The league was founded in 2001 as the ''Turkish Second League Category A'' after the reorganization ...
club
Pendikspor and the
Turkey national team.
Öztürk began his club career with
Beerschot before joining English club
Birmingham City
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. The team compete in the ...
, where he spent two years without appearing for the first team. He then returned to Beerschot, making his first-team debut in January 2012. After the club's 2013
relegation
Promotion and relegation is used by sports leagues as a process where teams can move up and down among divisions in a league system, based on their performance over a season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are sometimes call ...
from the Pro League and subsequent bankruptcy left all their players out of contract, Öztürk signed for Standard Liège. He was loaned to Turkish
Süper Lig
The Süper Lig (, ''Super League''), also known as Trendyol Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Turkey and the highest level of the Turkish football league system. In the 2023–2024 season, twen ...
club
Kasımpaşa for one-and-a-half seasons before spending 2015–16 on loan at another Turkish club,
Eskişehirspor
Eskişehirspor Kulübü is a Turkish football club located in Eskişehir. Founded in 1965, Eskişehirspor competed in the top division of Turkish football for 16 years until they were relegated. After being out of the Süper Lig for 12 years the ...
. Following a short spell at
Elazığspor, he signed for
Göztepe in 2018.
Born in Belgium, he has represented Turkey, the country of his parents, at
under-18,
under-20,
under-21, and
A2 level, and Belgium, the country of his birth, at under-18,
under-19, and
under-21 level.
Club career
Early life and career
Öztürk was born in
Antwerp
Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
, Belgium,
[ and is of Turkish descent.] He was part of the youth system at Berchem Sport before joining Germinal Beerschot at the age of 12, and then moved to England to join Birmingham City's Youth Academy in 2009. He played regularly in the under-18 and reserve team
In sports, a reserve team is a team composed of players who are under contract to a club but who do not regularly play in matches for the club's primary team. Reserve teams usually include players who are part of the larger first-team squad but ...
s, and in March 2011, was given a first-team squad number prior to the FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
sixth-round tie against Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...
.[ In the absence through injury of Stephen Carr and Roger Johnson, and with Liam Ridgewell not fit enough to start, Öztürk was named among the substitutes for that game, but remained unused.
He was part of the Birmingham squad for their 2011 pre-season visit to Ireland, and played the second half of the friendly against ]Cork City
Cork ( ; from , meaning 'marsh') is the second-largest city in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the county town of County Cork, the largest city in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the List of settlements on the island of Ireland ...
. In August 2011, he left the club. It was reported that no agreement could be reached between Birmingham and Beerschot on a mutually acceptable way to structure a compensation fee.
Beerschot
Öztürk returned to Beerschot for the 2011–12 season. Playing as a midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...
rather than the right back position he usually occupied at Birmingham,[ he was an unused substitute for the first team's visit to ]Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège ( ; ; ) or simply Standard in Belgium, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Liège.
They are one of the most successful clubs in Belgium, having won t ...
in January 2012, made his debut as Beerschot beat K.V. Kortrijk in the Belgian Cup
The Belgian Cup (; ; ) is the main knockout football competition in Belgium, run by the Royal Belgian FA. The competition started in 1908 with provincial selections as the "Belgian Provinces Cup". Starting from 1912 only actual clubs were allowed ...
, and played the full 90 minutes on his first Belgian Pro League
The Belgian Pro League (; ; ), officially the Jupiler Pro League () for sponsor Jupiler, is a professional association football league in Belgium and the highest level of the Belgian football league system. Contested by 16 clubs from the 2023 ...
appearance as Beerschot beat Cercle Brugge 4–0 on 21 January. In February, his contract was extended to June 2016. Beerschot were relegated
Promotion and relegation is used by sports leagues as a process where teams can move up and down among divisions in a league system, based on their performance over a season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are sometimes call ...
from the Pro League at the end of the 2012–13 season, and the club was subsequently declared bankrupt, which left the players out of contract.
Standard Liège
As a free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
, Öztürk signed a five-year contract with Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège ( ; ; ) or simply Standard in Belgium, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Liège.
They are one of the most successful clubs in Belgium, having won t ...
on 13 June 2013.[ He made his Standard debut in the starting eleven against Lierse on 4 August, producing a calm, assured performance in his preferred position of defensive midfield. Öztürk kept his place, and contributed to Standard's qualification for the Europa League group stages.
]
Kasımpaşa
Öztürk spent the second half of the 2013–14 season on loan to Turkish Süper Lig
The Süper Lig (, ''Super League''), also known as Trendyol Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Turkey and the highest level of the Turkish football league system. In the 2023–2024 season, twen ...
club Kasımpaşa. He started one match, a goalless draw away to Kayserispor
Kayseri Spor Kulübü, commonly known as Kayserispor, and also called Bellona Kayserispor due to sponsorship reasons, is a Turkish professional football club based in Kayseri. They play their home matches at the RHG Enertürk Enerji Stadium ...
, and made nine substitute appearances.[ In July, he rejoined Kasımpaşa, again on loan, for the 2014–15 season; the agreement included an option to make the transfer permanent. He appeared in 23 Süper Lig matches that season, but the move was not made permanent.][
]
Eskişehirspor
He joined another Süper Lig club, Eskişehirspor
Eskişehirspor Kulübü is a Turkish football club located in Eskişehir. Founded in 1965, Eskişehirspor competed in the top division of Turkish football for 16 years until they were relegated. After being out of the Süper Lig for 12 years the ...
, on loan for the 2015–16 season; again, the deal included an option to purchase. After making 15 league appearances, he was dropped from the squad in early March 2016 and never played again. In an interview with a Turkish website, Öztürk said he was training on his own and, with the club in financial difficulties, the players were not receiving their wages regularly.[ He made it clear that he wanted to return to Standard, and even if Eskişehirspor took up their option, he had no interest in staying.
]
Return to Standard
Ahead of the 2016–17 season, Öztürk took part in pre-season training with Standard.
Galatasaray
He signed a three-year contract with Galatasaray in the 2021–22 season.
Eyüpspor (loan)
He signed a one-year lease agreement with Eyüpspor on 30 June 2022.
Pendikspor
On August 29, 2023, he signed with Süper Lig
The Süper Lig (, ''Super League''), also known as Trendyol Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Turkey and the highest level of the Turkish football league system. In the 2023–2024 season, twen ...
club Pendikspor.
International career
Öztürk made his international debut for the Turkey under-18 team in November 2010, in the starting eleven for a friendly match
An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, scrimmage, demonstration, training match, pre-season game, warmup match, or preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sport, sporting event whose prize money and impact on th ...
against their German counterparts, and came off the substitutes' bench against the same opponents two days later. In January 2011, he was selected for his native Belgium's under-18 team, and was in the starting eleven for two friendlies against France U18. He played twice more a few weeks later in friendlies against Estonia U18, and twice more in the 2011 Slovakia Cup.
In August 2011, Öztürk moved up to the Belgium under-19 team, becoming a regular selection both in friendly matches and in qualification for the 2012 UEFA under-19 championships. He scored his first international goal in a 4–1 friendly defeat of Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
on 7 September.
In February 2013, Öztürk was called up to the Turkish under-21 squad for the upcoming match against Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
, but played no part. He did appear for Turkey's under-20 side in two friendly matches against their Portuguese counterparts in March 2013[ – in the first of the two, he scored the second goal in a 2–1 win. Selected for Turkey's squad for the ]2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup
The 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the nineteenth edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, since its inception in 1977 as the FIFA World Youth Championship. It ran from 21 June to 13 July 2013. At the FIFA Executive Meeting in Zürich on 3 March 2011, ...
, he started all three of Turkey's group matches and their second-round defeat to eventual winners France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. Öztürk made his under-21 debut for Turkey in their opening qualification match for the 2015 European championships, a 4–0 home win against Malta
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
. He made his debut for Turkey national football team on 1 September 2021 in a World Cup qualifier against Montenegro.
Personal
Öztürk was born and raised in Belgium by Turkish immigrants.
Career statistics
Club
References
Infobox statistics
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General
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ozturk, Alpaslan
1993 births
Living people
Footballers from Antwerp
Turkish men's footballers
Turkey men's under-21 international footballers
Turkey men's youth international footballers
Turkey men's international footballers
Belgian sportspeople of Turkish descent
Belgian men's footballers
Belgium men's under-21 international footballers
Belgium men's youth international footballers
Men's association football defenders
Men's association football midfielders
Birmingham City F.C. players
Beerschot A.C. players
Standard Liège players
Kasımpaşa S.K. footballers
Eskişehirspor footballers
Belgian Pro League players
Göztepe S.K. footballers
Süper Lig players
TFF 1. Lig players
Galatasaray S.K. footballers
Eyüpspor footballers
Pendikspor footballers
21st-century Turkish sportsmen
21st-century Belgian sportsmen
Elazığspor footballers
Expatriate men's footballers in England