Talented Turkish youngster Kenan Yildiz shared his thoughts on wearing the iconic number 10 jersey for Juventus. In an interview with FIFA, Yildiz expressed both the honour and the responsibility that comes with donning such a prestigious number.
Recalling his debut goal for Turkey, Yildiz expressed his overwhelming emotions: “Everyone could see my feelings when I scored. I never imagined something like this could happen, especially in a match between the two countries where I’ve played football all my life. It was incredible, hearing the crowd after my goal… It felt like the entire stadium was filled with Turkish fans!” He continued, “After two or three seconds, when I celebrated, I shouted. It was surreal. My father was there, which meant a lot to me. My mother couldn’t make it because we have a dog and she had to stay home, so she was watching on television. I think they were both very proud of me.”
Yildiz credits his father for his early football education: “I don’t really know how he came up with this idea. When I was about three, he started taking me to football fields, teaching me some basics of the sport, which he had learned by analyzing YouTube videos. Also, when we watched matches together, he would say, ‘Watch carefully what that player is doing.’ From childhood, he accompanied me to training sessions where I played with older boys. He’s been with me throughout my football journey. If I’m a professional footballer, it’s thanks to my parents. My mother helped me off the field, with school and everything else. My parents helped me become mentally strong, to never give up.”
Reflecting on his unexpected participation in the Euros, Yildiz said, “I didn’t think I had much chance of playing in such an important competition at my age. It was a very fun European Championship because we learned a lot. We spent about five weeks together as a group. This experience made us even more united; we’re all friends and trust each other.” He continued, “I believe this aspect allowed us to give our best. To be honest, I think we could have gone beyond the quarter-finals. We’re a young and competitive team, so… why not? We had a wonderful time, and we hope to have more like this in the future.”
Yildiz described his Champions League goal and subsequent interview with Del Piero as surreal: “It felt like a movie script! The interview Del Piero did with me after that goal? To be honest, I was very tense! Plus, I had to speak in Italian! But I think I managed well. He (Del Piero) is an exemplary person; he sometimes sends me messages and we talk. It’s fantastic.”
On the responsibility of wearing the iconic number 10 for Juventus, Yildiz said, “Wearing Juventus’ 10? There are two sides to having a number like this: it’s a really, really heavy number. It’s an honour but also a responsibility. You have pride and confidence in yourself when you wear the 10, but you’re also aware of the responsibility to show something for the people who gave you that honour. I like wearing it on the field; I feel able to contribute even more to the club’s success.”
Looking ahead to the Club World Cup, Yildiz expressed his readiness: “I’ve informed myself a lot about the characteristics of this tournament, and I’m ready to face this new challenge in America.”
