Kerim Frei facts for kids
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Frei with Turkey in 2016
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kerim Frei Koyunlu | ||
| Date of birth | 19 November 1993 | ||
| Place of birth | Feldkirch, Austria | ||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Elazığspor | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2006–2010 | Grasshopper | ||
| 2010–2011 | Fulham | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2013 | Fulham | 23 | (0) |
| 2012 | → Cardiff City (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2013–2017 | Beşiktaş | 68 | (7) |
| 2017 | Birmingham City | 13 | (1) |
| 2017–2021 | İstanbul Başakşehir | 40 | (3) |
| 2019 | → Maccabi Haifa (loan) | 16 | (1) |
| 2020 | → Emmen (loan) | 4 | (1) |
| 2021 | Emmen | 18 | (0) |
| 2021–2023 | Fatih Karagümrük | 28 | (3) |
| 2023–2024 | Manisa | 25 | (1) |
| 2024– | Elazığspor | 13 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 2008 | Switzerland U15 | 1 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | Switzerland U18 | 7 | (4) |
| 2011 | Switzerland U19 | 7 | (1) |
| 2012 | Switzerland U21 | 2 | (0) |
| 2013 | Turkey U20 | 5 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Turkey U21 | 6 | (3) |
| 2013–2015 | Turkey A2 | 2 | (1) |
| 2012–2016 | Turkey | 5 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 2 December 2024 | |||
Kerim Frei Koyunlu, born on November 19, 1993, is a talented footballer. He plays as a winger for Elazığspor. Kerim was born in Austria but plays for the Turkish national team. He has played for many clubs, including Fulham, Cardiff City, İstanbul Başakşehir, Beşiktaş, Birmingham City, and Maccabi Haifa. Before playing for Turkey, he represented Switzerland in youth teams.
Contents
Early Life
Kerim Frei was born in Feldkirch, Austria. His father is Turkish, and his mother is Moroccan. He grew up in Switzerland.
Football Career
Playing for Fulham
Kerim Frei started his professional career at Fulham. He made his first team debut on July 7, 2011. This was in a Europa League match against NSÍ Runavík from the Faroe Islands. He came into the game as a substitute.
After his debut, Huw Jennings, who worked for Fulham, shared his thoughts about Kerim:
For Kerim the change to go into the First Team has come early. He’s 17 years of age and had always been an exciting prospect. The Club's involvement in the Europa League has really helped to show what he can offer at First Team level. He [Frei] doesn’t lack for confidence - he’s a confident boy in terms of his own ability. He’s not an arrogant person – he’s very humble in lots of respects but what you see with Kerim is someone who, when he comes onto the pitch, comes alive. He explodes when he gets opportunities to get on the ball and it’s great to see someone with his qualities being recognised and having a chance to participate.
Frei then started his first game for Fulham on July 14, 2011. This was another Europa League match against Crusaders in Belfast. He also made his first start in an English competition in a League Cup game against Chelsea on September 21, 2011.
His first Premier League game was on December 10, 2011, against Swansea City. Fulham lost that match. Kerim scored his first goal for Fulham in a Europa League game against Odense BK. He signed a new contract with Fulham in March 2012, which lasted until 2015.
In April 2012, Kerim Frei received the Man of the Match award from Sky Television for his great performance in a game against Chelsea. Later, on October 26, 2012, he joined Cardiff City on a short loan. He played three games for Cardiff before returning to Fulham.
Moving to Beşiktaş
On September 6, 2013, Kerim Frei moved to the Turkish club Beşiktaş. He signed a five-year contract with them. He played his first league game for Beşiktaş on September 22, 2013, against Galatasaray.
He scored his first league goal for Beşiktaş more than a year later. This happened in a game against Kayseri Erciyesspor, where he scored two goals.
Time at Birmingham City
On January 20, 2017, Kerim Frei returned to English football. He signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Birmingham City. He made his debut in the EFL Championship the very next day.
He played 13 league games for Birmingham City, but only started three of them. He scored one goal for the club. This goal was a fantastic free kick from about 28 yards away. It was so good that it won the club's Goal of the Season award!
Playing for İstanbul Başakşehir
After only six months with Birmingham City, Frei went back to Turkey. He signed a four-year contract with İstanbul Başakşehir on July 21, 2017. He played his first league game for his new club on August 19, 2017.
Loans to Maccabi Haifa and FC Emmen
During his time at İstanbul Başakşehir, Kerim Frei also played for other teams on loan. He spent the second half of the 2018–19 season playing for Maccabi Haifa. In January 2020, he joined the Dutch club Emmen on loan.
Joining Emmen Permanently
On January 16, 2021, Kerim Frei officially joined Emmen permanently. He signed a contract for one and a half years with the club.
Playing for Manisa FK
On July 4, 2023, Frei joined Manisa FK, a team in the Turkish 1.Lig. He signed a two-year deal with an option for an extra year.
International Career
Kerim Frei first played for Switzerland's youth national teams. In June 2012, he decided to play for the Turkish national team instead. He represented Turkey at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Honours
Beşiktaş J.K.
- Süper Lig: 2015–16
