Mervan Çelik

Mervan Çelik (born 26 May 1990) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a winger for GAIS. He has previously played for GAIS, Rangers, Pescara, Gençlerbirliği, Akhisar Belediyespor, Häcken, and Fatih Karagümrük. He has represented Sweden at youth international level.

Mervan Çelik
Personal information
Date of birth (1990-05-26) 26 May 1990[1]
Place of birth Hisingen, Sweden
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[2]
Position(s) Winger
Team information
Current team
 GAIS
Number 10
Youth career
2001–2004 IF Warta
2004–2006 BK Häcken
2007–2008 GAIS
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2012 GAIS 68 (18)
2012 Rangers 5 (0)
2012 GAIS 14 (2)
2012–2013 Pescara 23 (4)
2013–2015 Gençlerbirliği 42 (6)
2015–2017 Akhisar Belediyespor 12 (0)
2017–2019 BK Häcken 33 (2)
2019 Fatih Karagümrük 10 (2)
2020 GAIS 23 (4)
2021–2022 Amed 25 (9)
2022– GAIS 37 (12)
International career
2008–2009 Sweden U19 6 (2)
2011–2012 Sweden U21 14 (6)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 7 September 2023

Club career

GAIS

Çelik played for IF Warta and BK Häcken at youth level before joining GAIS in 2007.[3] "I started as a striker but now I play as an inner midfielder and winger. It does not matter if I play on the right or the left, both positions work for me," he said in an interview on the club's website.[3] Çelik made his competitive début against GIF Sundsvall in the Allsvenskan on 20 July 2008,[2][3] and appeared in the starting eleven for the first time six weeks later against IFK Göteborg.[4] He signed a three-year contract in May 2009,[3] and scored his first goal for the club later that year against Kalmar FF.[2]

Rangers

Having left GAIS at the end of his contract, Çelik was offered a three and a half-year contract from Scottish Premier League team Rangers,[5] which he signed on 20 January 2012.[6][7] After Rangers went into administration, Çelik chose to leave the club in March 2012 without a pay-off.[8] He stated that he didn't make the wrong decision in joining the club, but the club entering administration was unpredictable.[8]

GAIS claimed that Rangers owed them £240,000 compensation for the transfer of Celik. However, there were suggestions that Celik was not offered a new contract within 60 days before the end of his previous deal, meaning that no compensation would have been necessary. Both GAIS and Celik disputed this and the club have threatened to take the matter to FIFA if Rangers don't pay them.[9]

Return to GAIS

After leaving Rangers in March 2012, Çelik signed an eight-month contract with GAIS.[10]

Pescara

Çelik continued his career in Italian first league with the newcomer Pescara in 2012. He scored the first goal for Pescara the 2012–13 season against Sampdoria in a 3–2 loss.

International career

Çelik has represented Sweden at youth level.[11] He made his under-21 debut against Norway on 2 June 2011 and scored two goals in a 4–1 win.[12] He is eligible to play for Turkey through his parents.[3]

Honours

BK Häcken

Personal life

Çelik was born and raised in the suburb Biskopsgården, Hisingen, an island which forms part of the Gothenburg Municipality.[3] Çelik's parents are ethnic Kurds from Turkey.[13] His mother and father lived in Konya before moving to Sweden, where his father opened a restaurant.[3]

References
  1. "Mervan Celik". UEFA. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  2. "Mervan Celik". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  3. "Mervan Çelik" (in Swedish). GAIS. 12 May 2009. Archived from the original on 14 May 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  4. Forsman, Bengt. "Lyckodagar för Mervan!" (in Swedish). GAIS. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  5. "Boss Confirms Celik Move". Rangers F.C. 13 January 2012. Archived from the original on 15 January 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  6. "Celik till Rangers: "Det känns bra"" [Celik to Rangers: "It feels good"]. Eurosport.com SE (in Swedish). 19 January 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  7. "Celik Signs For Gers". Rangers F.C. 20 January 2012. Archived from the original on 22 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  8. "Gregg Wylde and Mervan Celik leave Rangers as administrators reject pact". BBC Sport. BBC. 7 March 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
  9. "Rangers threatened with FIFA action over Mervan Celik transfer fee". Daily Record. 6 February 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  10. Kristoffersson, Daniel (30 March 2012). "Mervan Celik klar för Gais i åtta månader". Expressen (in Swedish). Retrieved 6 April 2012.
  11. "Mervan Celik". Soccerway. Global Sports Media. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  12. "Norge 1–4 Sverige". Swedish Football Association. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  13. Andersson, Kjell-Ove (8 June 2011). "Celik kan lämna efter succén i U21-debuten". Fotbolls Expressen (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
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