Izzet in 2010
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Personal information | |||
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Full name | Mustafa Kemal Izzet | ||
Date of birth | 31 October 1974 | ||
Place of birth | Mile End, London, England | ||
Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
Playing position | Midfielder | ||
Youth career | |||
Senrab | |||
Charlton Athletic | |||
Chelsea | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1993–1996 | Chelsea | 0 | (0) |
1996 | → Leicester City (loan) | 9 | (1) |
1996–2004 | Leicester City | 260 | (37) |
2004–2006 | Birmingham City | 26 | (1) |
2009 | Thurmaston Town | 1 | (0) |
Total | 296 | (39) | |
National team | |||
2000–2004 | Turkey | 9 | (0) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
Mustafa Kemal "Muzzy" Izzet (Turkish: İzzet; born 31 October 1974) is a former footballer who played for Chelsea, Leicester City, Birmingham City and the Turkish national team. His father is a Turkish Cypriot who came to England as a small boy, and his mother is English. His younger brother, Kemal, also became a professional footballer.
Izzet signed as a schoolboy for Chelsea, but never made a first team appearance during three years at the London club. He moved to Leicester City in March 1996 on loan for the rest of the season. He became a regular in the side, scoring one goal. When Leicester beat Crystal Palace in the play-offs, Izzet was able to make his move permanent for a fee of £800,000. He kept his place in the side for their Premier League season, which was successful for City. They came 9th in the Premier League, and won the League Cup. Izzet formed a partnership in midfield with Neil Lennon, which proved vital for Leicester.
In the 1998–99 season, Leicester came 10th in league, and reaching the League Cup final again, but lost out to Tottenham Hotspur. The following season, Leicester came 8th, and again got to the League Cup Final, this time coming up against Tranmere Rovers, of Division One. This year they won 2–1, with Matt Elliott getting both goals. Izzet had been a regular in the side through all of this time. After Martin O'Neill left, Izzet remained a Leicester player. His time at Leicester drew interest from West Ham and Middlesbrough, but he did not leave the club.