Alim Öztürk

Alim Öztürk

Personal information
Date of birth	17 November 1992
Place of birth	Alkmaar, Netherlands
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current team	Heart of Midlothian
Number	5
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2011–2013	SC Cambuur	13	(0)
2013–2014	Trabzonspor	0	(0)
2013–2014	→ 1461 Trabzon (loan)	18	(2)
2014–	Heart of Midlothian	55	(5)
National team^‡
2013	Turkey U21	4	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 May 2016 (UTC). † Appearances (goals) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18:13, 9 September 2014 (UTC)

Alim Öztürk (born 17 November 1992) is a Turkish footballer who plays as a centre-back for Scottish club Heart of Midlothian.

Career

Playing in Netherlands

Born in Alkmaar, Netherlands, to his Turkish parents, Öztürk grew up with three siblings and started playing football when he was nine years old and joining AFC '34 youth team. His parents kept distance from Öztürk playing football.^[2] He then joined Groningen.^[2]

In 2011, Öztürk joined Eerste Divisie side SC Cambuur, where he quickly went through to the first team and made his Eerste Divisie debut for SC Cambuur on 22 January 2012.^[3]

Playing in Turkey

He moved to Turkish club Trabzonspor in 2013^[4] for €125,000 on a three year contract, depending on the ongoing payment,^[5] but did not break into their first team.^[6]

After struggling to break into the first team, Öztürk was sent to join 1461 Trabzon on loan for the 2013–14 season.^[7] After a half season with the club, Öztürk left Trabzonspor by mutual consent.^[8] Öztürk later described playing in Turkey as difficult, citing more long balls, more fights and unsatisfied playing in the second division.^[9]

Heart of Midlothian

Öztürk moved to then Scottish Championship side Hearts in June 2014 on a three year contract.^[6]

Öztürk made his Hearts debut, playing in the centre-back along with Danny Wilson, in a 2–1 win over Rangers in the opening game of the season.^[10] On 26 October 2014, Öztürk scored his first goal for the club, a 40-yard screamer against Edinburgh rivals Hibernian.^[11] Later in the same season, he also scored with long-range efforts against Raith Rovers,^[12] Cowdenbeath,^[13] and he scored a free-kick against Queen of the South.^[14] Alim Öztürk is the main free-kick taker at Hearts. With 33 appearances and scoring four times in his first season at Hearts, Öztürk was among six players to be named 2014–15 Championship's Team of the Year.^[15] Öztürk was also won Goal of the Season and Memorable Moment at the club's award ceremony.^[16]

Following the club's promotion to the Scottish Premiership and Wilson's departure, it was announced that Öztürk was appointed as the new captain at Hearts.^[17] He had previously spoke out of becoming the club's captain ahead of the 2015–16 season.^[18] Öztürk's first game as Hearts' captain came in the opening game of the season, in a 4–3 win over St Johnstone.^[19]

Personal life

Öztürk speaks Dutch, Turkish and English.^[20] Öztürk was so popular with Hearts supporters that they named a beer after him.^[21]

Career Statistics

As of 9 February 2016

Club statistics

Club	Season	League		League Cup		National Cup		Europe		Other		Total
		App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
SC Cambuur	2011–12	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	6	0
	2012–13	8	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	9	0
1461 Trabzon	2013–14	18	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	18	2
Heart of Midlothian	2014–15	33	4	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	36	4
	2015–16	21	1	2	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	25	2
Career total		85	7	3	1	4	0	0	0	2	0	94	8

References

1. "Alim Öztürk" (in Turkish). Trabzonspor.org.tr. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
2. "DEFANSA iLAÇ OLABiLECEK BÜYÜK YETENEK!". Yteneki Turk Futbolcular Website. 22 April 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
3. "ALİM ÖZTÜRK – Player Details". TFF.org. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
4. "Cambuur sells Öztürk at Trabzonspor" [Cambuur verkoopt Öztürk aan Trabzonspor] (in Dutch). Goal.com. 31 January 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
5. "Scholars Ozturk Trabzonspor" [Alim Öztürk Trabzonspor'da] (in Turkish). Milliyet News. 31 January 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
6. Hearts recruit Turkish defender Alim Ozturk, BBC Sport
7. "Uğur ve Alim 1461 yolunda" [Uğur ve Alim 1461 yolunda] (in Turkish). 61 Saat Official Website. 19 June 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
8. "Trabzon, Alim Öztürk'ü serbest bıraktı" [Trabzon, Alim Öztürk'ü serbest bıraktı] (in Turkish). Sports 365 Official Website. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
9. "Alim Ozturk already feels at home at with Hearts". Edinburgh Evening News. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
10. "Rangers 1 - 2 Hearts". BBC Sport. 10 August 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
11. "Hearts rescued their unbeaten league record with a late Alim Ozturk strike that secured a draw against Hibernian.". bbc.co.uk/sport/. BBC Sport. 26 October 2014. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
12. "Heart of Midlothian 1-0 Raith Rovers". BBC Sport. 8 November 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
13. "Heart of Midlothian 10-0 Cowdenbeath". BBC Sport. 28 February 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
14. "Hearts 2-0 Queen of the South". BBC Sport. 28 March 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
15. "Capital clubs dominate PFA Team of the Year". Edinburgh Evening News. 1 May 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
16. "THE WINNERS ARE IN!". Heart of Midlothian F.C. 27 April 2015. Archived from the original on 7 August 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
17. "SKIPPER SPEAKS". Heart of Midlothian F.C. 22 July 2015. Archived from the original on 7 August 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
18. "I'd love to be king of Hearts: Alim Ozturk sets his sights on Jambos captaincy". Daily Record. 6 July 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
19. Lindsay, Clive (2 August 2015). "Hearts 4-3 St Johnstone". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
20. "Derby gave Alim Ozturk an appetite for all things Hearts". Edinburgh Evening News. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
21. "‘40 yard Screamer’ beer honours Hearts’ Ozturk". Edinburgh Evening News. 28 November 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2015.

External links

• Alim Öztürk at TFF
• Alim Öztürk – UEFA competition record