Tugay Kerimoğlu

Tugay has had a long and varied career and had developed into one of the most influential players in the Turkish national team.

He began his playing career at Galatasaray in 1988 as a product of the youth system and broke into the first team in 1990.

He made his international debut in 1992 and was a member of the team that won the 1993 Gold Medal at the Mediterranean Games.

He played at the 1996 and 2000 European Championship Finals but was sent home from the 2000 European Championships when, after being substituted in the match against Belgium, he threw a water bottle at coach Mustapha Denizli.

At club level, he won four Turkish titles before Scottish club Rangers signed him in January 2000 for £1.3million and he became the first Turkish player to appear in Scotland.

He failed to hold down a firs team place and left to join Premiership side Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2001.

He is a strong and effective player as a libero or in midfield that can play on the left, and he played in all seven of Turkey's games in the 2002 World Cup finals.

Tugay's contract at Blackburn Rovers was extended to June 2006 in April 2005, then to June 2007 in March 2006, to June 2008 in May 2007 and to June 2009 in May 2008.