Player Profile: Tugay

Full Name: Tugay Kerimoglu
Date of Birth: 24th August 1970, Trabzon
Nationality: Turkish
Position: Midfielder
Squad Number: 5
Internationals: 92 Caps, 2 Goals for Turkey (1990-2003)
Signed: June 2001
Previous Clubs: Galatasaray (Turkey) & Glasgow Rangers

Tugay began his career with Galatasaray in 1989; success was to be a frequent thing with Titles and Cups with European football a regular feature for the Midfielder.

The midfield general transferred from Turkey to Scotland and Glasgow Rangers at the end of 1999 winning the Scottish Title and Scottish Cup in the 1999-2000 season during his time at Ibrox.

Graeme Souness returned to his former club to snap up the playmaker for a bargain £1.2 million in the summer of 2001 for Rovers' Premiership return ready for the start of the 2001-2002 season.

Souness picked up a player he knew very well from his own time as Tugay's manager with Galatasaray in the mid 1990's, with the signing of Tugay proving to be one of the very best made during his time with Rovers.

His debut season saw him and Rovers win the Worthington Cup in 2002 and he has been a key member of the first team ever since. His range of passing is at times breath taking and his tough tackling; no holding back approach makes him a fans favourite but can see him in trouble with referees at times!

Tugay also has an eye for goal and has scored some fantastic goals during his time at Ewood Park surely the cream of the crop his recent strike against FC Basel in the UEFA Cup. Despite being in the twilight of his career he remains instrumental to the clubs success, generally when he plays well Rovers play well.

International recognition with Turkey first came in 1990 and in a thirteen-year International career between 1990 and 2003 he captained the national side regularly playing with them at the World Cup and European Championship Finals. His International caps tally eventually ended only eight caps short of 100 finishing with 92.

He is already a Rovers legend who will without doubt go down as an all time Rovers legend once his time as a player at Ewood Park comes to an end, which if he continues to perform like he has been thus far during the early months of the 2006-2007 season will not be until the end of the 2007-2008 season at least...

Blackburn Rovers appearances and goals up to the start of the 2006-2007 Season:
League: 154 (24 as sub) - 7 goals
FA Cup: 14 (3 as sub) - 1 goal
League Cup: 17 (1 as sub)
Other (European etc.): 6
TOTAL: 191 - 8 goals

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