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Sukur's professional career started when, at 16, he pulled on the jersey of his home town team, Sakaryaspor. In 1990 and already a first team regular, he was snapped up by Bursaspor and after 2 successful seasons Galatasaray inevitably came sniffing. Sukur could not resist and packed his bags for Istanbul. He became an instant hero at the Ali Sami Yen, banging in 19 goals in his first season on the way to a first league title of his career.
The same year Sukur made his international debut, and 3 years later he headed for Serie A and Torino. Like many before him however, he never truly found the Italian style of play to his liking and swiftly returned to the open arms of the fanatical Gala support less than a season later. In his first season back at his spiritual home he scored 38 times, then a European league record. By then Sukur was the most high profile Turkish player in history and a bona fide national hero.
The pinnacle of his time at Gala and perhaps of his whole career was in playing a pivotal role in the UEFA Cup winning Gala side of 2000. Many Bears will I am sure remember his performance in an ill tempered semi-final when he ran Leeds ragged to earn his side a place in the final against Arsenal. As a result the inevitable overtures from Europe's top clubs recommenced and Sukur said a final goodbye to the Bosphorous to have another crack at Serie A with Inter Milan. However, he struggled to find a niche in a talented Inter side and was eventually loaned out to Parma where he has toiled ever since.
In the World Cup the Bull of the Bosphorous, truly looked to have blunted horns. He looked a despondent figure lacking in confidence and clearly at odds with many of his team-mates. It would not be an exaggeration to say that in every World Cup game he played in, Turkey where a man short. There may have been two good reasons reasons for this. His beliefs are rumoured to have been at odds with younger, less religiously devoted members of the team, many of whom, descendent of guest workers, where brought up in Germany. He whined at their lack of respect for him and refusal to go to Mosque. They blanked him and didnt play ball. The other is, of course, age. Sukur is now the wrong side of 30 and has all of his best years behind him. Now without a club and after a disastrously poor World Cup he must be regarded as a risk by any potential suitor.
Perhaps the most enduring image of this once fearsome striker comes from the World Cup . Subbed after 60 odd minutes against Japan, Turkeys highest ever goalscorer sadly trudging from the field in the pouring rain, not to the rapturous applause of his once adoring Turkish public but to a stadium full of soaking wet, pissed off and silently bemused Japanese.
STRASBEAR