Tuncay Şanlı facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tuncay

Tuncay in 2016
Personal information
Date of birth	(1982-01-16) 16 January 1982 (age 43)
Place of birth	Sakarya, Turkey
Height	1.82 m
Playing position	Midfielder, forward
Youth career
1999–2000	Sakaryaspor
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2000–2002	Sakaryaspor	66	(32)
2002–2007	Fenerbahçe	154	(59)
2007–2009	Middlesbrough	70	(17)
2009–2011	Stoke City	44	(5)
2011–2012	VfL Wolfsburg	4	(0)
2011–2012	→ Bolton Wanderers (loan)	16	(0)
2012–2014	Bursaspor	39	(1)
2014–2015	Umm Salal	26	(11)
2015	Pune City	10	(3)
Total		429	(128)
National team
2000	Turkey U17	2	(0)
2000	Turkey U18	11	(6)
2001	Turkey U20	6	(3)
2002–2003	Turkey U21	14	(9)
2002–2010	Turkey	80	(22)
Teams managed
2016–2017	Sakaryaspor
2022–2024	Sakaryaspor
2024	Ümraniyespor
Honours Men's Football Representing  Turkey FIFA Confederations Cup Third 2003 France
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Tuncay Şanlı (born on January 16, 1982), often known simply as Tuncay, is a former Turkish footballer. He mostly played as a striker or an attacking midfielder. He could also play on the wing.

Tuncay was a key player for the Turkish national team. He helped them finish third in the 2003 Confederations Cup and the 2008 European Championships. With 22 goals in 80 games, he is one of Turkey's top goal scorers ever.

He started his career at his local club, Sakaryaspor. In 2002, he joined Fenerbahçe, one of Turkey's biggest clubs. He became very popular there. In December 2004, he made headlines by scoring three goals against Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League. He won three Süper Lig titles with Fenerbahçe.

After Fenerbahçe, Tuncay moved to the English club Middlesbrough. He played there for two seasons and was even named their player of the year in 2009. However, he couldn't stop them from being relegated. In August 2009, he joined Stoke City. He later played for VfL Wolfsburg in Germany, Bolton Wanderers back in England, Bursaspor in Turkey, Umm Salal in Qatar, and Pune City in India.

Club Football Journey

Playing for Fenerbahçe

Tuncay caught the eye of Süper Lig giant Fenerbahçe in 2002. He was just 20 years old and had shown great skill for his hometown club Sakaryaspor. He signed a five-year contract with Fenerbahçe. During his time there, he helped the team win the Turkish league title three times. His first game for Fenerbahçe was on September 11, 2002, against Gaziantepspor.

On December 8, 2004, Tuncay made history. He became only the second player to score a Champions League hat-trick against Manchester United. He was also the first Turkish player to achieve this in the Champions League.

During his five years at Fenerbahçe, he scored 12 Champions League goals in 26 games. His first Champions League goal was against Panathinaikos in 2002. After Tuncay left, his former coach, Brazilian legend Zico, said that Tuncay was a big loss because he brought "soul and hope" to the team.

Time at Middlesbrough

Tuncay playing for Middlesbrough in 2009.

On June 13, 2007, Middlesbrough announced they had agreed to sign Tuncay. He arrived in Middlesbrough on June 18, 2007, and signed a four-year contract. He passed his medical and got his work permit, completing his free transfer.

In July 2007, Tuncay shared his goals for the season. He said he wanted to play in the Premier League and help Middlesbrough get back into European competitions. On July 15, 2007, Tuncay played his first game for Middlesbrough against German team Schalke 04.

Tuncay was known for his strong connection with fans at Fenerbahçe. He quickly built the same bond with Middlesbrough supporters. They loved his endless energy and passion during games. Fans would sing, "We've only got one player!" to show how much they admired him.

In May 2009, football expert Matt Le Tissier praised Tuncay. He said Tuncay was a "quality" player who "works his socks off." He added that Tuncay was a great example for his team.

The 2008–09 season was very successful for Tuncay personally. He won all four of the club's main awards for that year. This included the Players' Player of the Year and the Garmin Player of the Year. He won the Player of the Year award with a huge 75% of the votes.

Even though Tuncay had a great season, Middlesbrough was relegated to the Championship. This happened after a very tough season where they lost 12 away games in a row. Tuncay wanted to keep playing in the Premier League. However, he started the 2009–10 season with Middlesbrough. He played in three games, scoring two goals. He scored against Swansea City and Doncaster Rovers. He even scored within 60 seconds of coming on as a substitute in one game.

He chose to stay in England, even though clubs from Germany and Spain wanted to sign him. Before the transfer window closed, he left Middlesbrough to join Premier League side Stoke City.

2007–08 Season Highlights

Tuncay needed some time to get used to playing in the Premier League. He didn't score in his first 12 league games. But then, he scored three goals in three games. His first goal was a header on December 1, 2007, against Reading. The next week, he scored the winning goal against Arsenal. His third goal, against Derby County, was a fantastic volley. This goal won the BBC Match of the Day Goal of the Month award for December 2007. It was even nominated for Goal of the Season!

On December 29, 2007, he scored his fourth goal against Portsmouth. This was Middlesbrough's first win at Fratton Park in 54 years. He later scored against Liverpool, but Middlesbrough lost that game. He also scored another winning goal against Derby County. Tuncay finished his first season with eight goals, making him the second-highest scorer for Middlesbrough.

2008–09 Season Highlights

Tuncay with Middlesbrough in September 2008

Tuncay started the season well. His first league goal was the winning goal against Stoke City. In September 2008, he got a knee injury while playing for Turkey. He was out for five weeks. He returned on October 10 against Blackburn Rovers. He scored two goals in a 2–1 win against Aston Villa on November 9, 2008.

In December 2008, there were rumors that Chelsea wanted to buy him. His manager, Gareth Southgate, laughed off these rumors. Tuncay scored two goals in two games against West Ham (in the FA Cup) and Liverpool (in the league). The win against Liverpool ended their 15-game unbeaten run. The win against West Ham took Middlesbrough to the FA Cup Quarter Finals. In April 2009, Tuncay scored Middlesbrough's fastest goal of the season, just three minutes into the game against Hull City.

In May 2009, he was named Middlesbrough's Player of the Year. On May 16, he scored another amazing overhead kick goal against Aston Villa. This won him another BBC Goal of the Month award. In that important game, he even became captain for the first time after Stewart Downing got injured.

Despite Tuncay's best efforts, Middlesbrough was relegated at the end of the 2008–09 season. They lost 2–1 to West Ham. Middlesbrough had been in the relegation zone for the entire second half of the season. In the last game, Tuncay, as captain, set up Middlesbrough's only goal. It was a tough season where Middlesbrough only scored 28 league goals. Tuncay was their top scorer with 7 league goals.

Joining Stoke City

Tuncay joined Stoke City on August 28, 2009, for £5 million. He signed a four-year contract. He made his debut the next day against Sunderland. He came on as a substitute in the 84th minute. He made his first start for Stoke in a League Cup game against Blackpool. In that game, he set up two goals and won a penalty.

He mostly came on as a substitute in the Premier League. A notable moment happened in a game against Hull in November 2009. He was substituted off just six minutes after coming on. Despite this, Tuncay said he was happy and wanted to stay at Stoke. He made his first league start against Arsenal on December 5, 2009. He scored his first goal for Stoke on December 12, 2009, against Wigan. He also scored the first Premier League goal of 2010 against Fulham. He only started 13 games that season.

For the 2010–11 season, Tuncay scored five goals in five pre-season games. However, he still mostly came on as a substitute in league games. He said he wanted to play more often and might leave in January 2011. He scored his first goal of the season against Shrewsbury Town in the League Cup. He then scored a fantastic goal against Manchester United on October 24, 2010. On November 27, 2010, Tuncay helped Stoke get a late equalizer against Manchester City. He left Stoke on the last day of the January transfer window to join German club Wolfsburg.

Playing for VfL Wolfsburg

Tuncay moved to German club Wolfsburg on January 31, 2011. He played only five games for them. On July 25, 2012, his contract was ended by agreement, even though it was supposed to last until June 2014.

Loan to Bolton Wanderers

On August 11, 2011, Tuncay agreed to join Bolton Wanderers on loan for the 2011–12 season. He scored on his Bolton debut in a League Cup game against Macclesfield Town. He played 22 games for Bolton that season. Unfortunately, Bolton was relegated on the last day of the season.

Later Career Clubs

Tuncay joined Bursaspor in Turkey on September 3, 2012. His contract ended in February 2014. On July 31, 2014, Tuncay signed a one-year deal with Qatar Stars League team Umm Salal. In 2015, Tuncay was signed by Indian Super League team FC Pune City. In his first game for Pune, on October 5, 2015, he scored two goals and was named man of the match.

International Football Career

Tuncay warming up for a friendly game against Romania in August 2010

Playing for the Senior Team

For a while, Tuncay was the vice-captain of the Turkish national team. He scored 22 goals in 80 games for his country. Tuncay scored two hat-tricks for Turkey during his international career. His first was against Switzerland in a 2006 World Cup qualifying play-off match. Turkey won 4–2, but Switzerland advanced because of the away goals rule. His second hat-trick was in November 2008 in a friendly game against Austria.

Confederations Cup 2003

Turkey played in the FIFA Confederations Cup for the first time in 2003. Tuncay made his full international debut for Turkey on June 19, 2003. This was just one day after he scored twice for the Under-21 team.

His debut was against the United States. He won a penalty, which led to Turkey's first goal. Tuncay then scored the winning goal in the second half. He scored three goals and got one assist in the tournament. He won the Silver Shoe Award (for second-highest scorer) and the Silver Ball Award (for the second-best player). Turkey finished in third place. Tuncay received a lot of praise, with one newspaper calling him a "gem." Tuncay holds a record for scoring one of the quickest goals in Confederations Cup history, scoring within 120 seconds.

Euro 2008

During the qualifying games for Euro 2008, Tuncay played eleven games and scored three goals. He earned his 50th international cap on November 21, 2007, in the final qualification game against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Turkey won that game, which secured their spot in the Euro 2008 finals.

Tuncay played a big part in Turkey reaching the semi-finals in Austria and Switzerland. Turkey often came from behind to win games, earning them the nickname "Comeback Kings." In the last group game against the Czech Republic, Tuncay even played as a goalkeeper for the final few minutes. This happened after the main goalkeeper was sent off and Turkey had used all their substitutions.

He received a yellow card in the quarter-finals against Croatia. This meant he couldn't play in the semi-finals against Germany. Turkey was drawing 2–2 until the 90th minute, but Germany scored late to win. Tuncay had two assists in his four games during the 2008 European Championships.

2010 World Cup Qualifiers

After a World Cup qualifier between Armenia and Turkey in September 2008, both teams received a FIFA Fair Play Award. As captain, Tuncay collected the award for Turkey. During the qualifying rounds, Tuncay scored three goals and had two assists in seven games. However, Turkey did not qualify for the 2010 World Cup.

How Tuncay Played

Tuncay was best at playing in the "hole" (just behind the main striker) or as a second striker. He could also play anywhere across the midfield and in attack.

Career Statistics

Club Games and Goals

International Games and Goals

Scores and results list Turkey's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Tuncay goal

List of international goals scored by Tuncay Şanlı

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	19 June 2003	Saint-Étienne, France	United States	2–1	2–1	2003 FIFA Confederations Cup
2	26 June 2003	Paris, France	France	2–3	2–3	2003 FIFA Confederations Cup
3	28 June 2003	Saint-Étienne, France	Colombia	1–0	2–1	2003 FIFA Confederations Cup
4	30 March 2005	Tbilisi, Georgia	Georgia	5–2	5–2	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
5	8 June 2005	Almaty, Kazakhstan	Kazakhstan	4–0	6–0	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
6				5–0
7	16 November 2005	Istanbul, Turkey	Switzerland	1–1	4–2	2006 FIFA World Cup playoffs
8				2–1
9				4–2
10	24 May 2006	Genk, Belgium	Belgium	3–2	3–3	Friendly
11	7 October 2006	Budapest, Hungary	Hungary	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
12	11 October 2006	Frankfurt, Germany	Moldova	5–0	5–0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
13	24 March 2007	Piraeus, Greece	Greece	1–1	4–1	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
14	26 March 2008	Minsk, Belarus	Belarus	1–1	2–2	Friendly
15	29 May 2008	Duisburg, Germany	Finland	1–0	2–0	Friendly
16	6 September 2008	Yerevan, Armenia	Armenia	1–0	2–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
17	19 November 2008	Vienna, Austria	Austria	2–1	4–2	Friendly
18				3–1
19				4–2
20	12 August 2009	Kyiv, Ukraine	Ukraine	1–0	3–0	Friendly
21	5 September 2009	Kayseri, Turkey	Estonia	1–1	4–2	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
22				4–2

Managerial Statistics

Team	Nat.	From	To	Record
				G	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Sakaryaspor		26 October 2016	7 February 2017	&&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018	&&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016	+2	&&&&&&&&&&&&&046.15000046.15
Total				&&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018	&&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016	+2	&&&&&&&&&&&&&046.15000046.15

Awards and Achievements

Fenerbahçe

• Süper Lig: 2003–04, 2004–05, 2006–07

Turkey National Team

• UEFA European Championship bronze medalist:2008
• 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup bronze medalist

Individual Awards

• FIFA Confederations Cup Silver Ball: 2003 (Second best player)
• FIFA Confederations Cup Silver Shoe: 2003 (Second highest scorer)
• Fenerbahçe Player of the Year: 2005–06, 2006–07
• Middlesbrough F.C. Players' Player of the Year: 2008–09
• Garmin Player of the Year: 2008–09
• Middlesbrough F.C. Official Supporters' Club Prize: 2008–09
• Middlesbrough Terrace Legends Award: 2008–09
• Middlesbrough F.C. top scorer: 2008–09
• BBC Goal of the Month Award: December 2007, May 2009

Images for kids

• 

  Tuncay in 2016

• 

  Tuncay playing for Middlesbrough in 2009.

• 

  Tuncay with Middlesbrough in September 2008

• 

  Tuncay warming up for friendly game against Romania in August 2010

See also

In Spanish: Tuncay Şanlı para niños