Tugay Kerimoglu, is a central midfielder born on August 24, 1970 in Istanbul, Turkey. He lives in England with wife Etkin Kerimoglu, a former Turkish international basketball player, and children, Berke and Melisse.
A Turkish legend with more than appearances for the Turkish team, Tugay Kerimoglu led the Turkish squad to an incredible 3rd-place finish at the 2002 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup. He was also a part of the Turkish National team that reached the quarterfinals of the UEFA Euro 2000.
On June 5, 2007 Tugay Kerimoglu made a comeback from his retirement for one last time play in a friendly against Brazil in Dortmund, Germany, where he wore number 94 to commemorate his 94th match for his country.
Tugay Kerimoglu began his football career with Galatasaray, a Turkish sports club, with which his association spanned 13 years. During this phase, he was instrumental in the team winning the Süper Lig, the top league in Turkish football, six times. Tugay Kerimoglu also brought home the Turkey Cup four times. He also created history when he went on to become the youngest captain in the history of Galatasaray.
Tugay Kerimoglu moved to the Scottish Premier League in January 2000, when he was signed by Rangers F.C., an association football team based in Glasgow and was part of the team that won the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Cup that season.
In the months that followed, Tugay Kerimoglu was signed by Blackburn Rovers to play for them in the 2001-02 season. During his stint there, he was named Blackburn's ‘Player of the Year’ at the end of the 2003-04 premier league campaign.
For his spectacular strike against Reading in October 2007 Tugay Kerimoglu won the club’s ‘Goal of the Season’ award. Later that month, he extended his tenure at Blackburn by signing a year-long deal.
Known for his thunderbolt shots on the field, Tugay Kerimoglu shies away from media and is reputed for his sense of humor.
