Oğuzhan Özyakup

Oğuzhan Özyakup

Özyakup with Turkey in 2016
Personal information
Date of birth	(1992-09-23) 23 September 1992 (age 24)
Place of birth	Zaandam, Netherlands
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current team	Beşiktaş
Number	15
Youth career
	Zaandam Türkspor
2005–2008	AZ
2008–2012	Arsenal
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2011–2012	Arsenal	0	(0)
2012–	Beşiktaş	132	(23)
National team‡
2008–2009	Netherlands U17	15	(5)
2011–2012	Netherlands U19	9	(2)
2012–2014	Turkey U21	7	(3)
2013–	Turkey	25	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 8 April 2017. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 4 July 2016

Oğuzhan Özyakup (born 23 September 1992), nicknamed Ozzie, is a Turkish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Beşiktaş and the Turkish national team. Also featuring for AZ Alkmaar Academy & Arsenal F.C., he won the 2009 & 2010 Premier Academy League and the FA Youth Cup of 2009 with the Gunners. Ozyakup, with Beskitas, was also victorious in winning the Super Lig title of 2016.

Özyakup was born in Zaandam, to Turkish parents from city of Trabzon who immigrated to the Netherlands. His father is in wholesale nourishment business. He is youngest of two siblings. He started his career at Zaandam Türkspor, a local amateur club which Dutch players with Turkish descent were predominantly recruited, where he later caught the attraction of AZ Alkmaar officials. He was invited to trials of AZ at the age of 11, in which he succeeded and recruited.

Özyakup signed for Arsenal on schoolboy forms on 1 September 2008, and played regularly for Arsenal Academy's side.

With this outfit the Turksman won for Arsenal the Premier Academy League of 2008–09 and 2009–10. Ozyakup also was triumphant in winning the FA Youth Cup of 2008–09 with the Gunners.