Turkey Euro 2020 squad: Lille trio Celik, Yilmaz, Yazici included for Euro campaign

Yusuf Yazici and Burak Yilmaz of Turkey
Yusuf Yazici and Burak Yilmaz of Turkey | Photo Credit: IMAGO

The Crescent stars have finalized their 26-man squad for Euro 2020.

Turkey begin their European Championship campaign on June 12 against Italy. They have been drawn in Group A alongside Wales, Italy and Switzerland.

Earlier, manager Senol Gunes named a 33-man provisional squad, which has now been trimmed to 26.

Lille trio Celik, Yusuf Yazici and Bruno Yilmaz have been included and are expected to play a key role as they did with the French club, who were crowned the Ligue 1 winners.

Yilmaz and Yazici were quite exceptional for Lille, with the former finding the nets 16 times in the league. Yaziici, a versatile midfielder, showed his true quality to be recognized as one of the top young midfielders around.

AC Milan playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu will be instrumental to the Crescent stars as he is coming off an impressive season in Serie A, helping the Rossoneri attain Champions League qualification after a long time.

Calhanoglu became an integral part of Stefano Pioli’s system and mustered 4 goals and 9 assists in the Italian top-flight.

The defence looks a packed one with the likes of Ozan Kabak and Caglar Soyuncu, who both plies their trade in the Premier League for Liverpool and Leicester City, respectively.

Trabzonspor goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir, one of the best in the Turkish top-flight, is likely to be the first-choice for Gunes.

Cengiz Under has also made it to the final squad despite spending his loan spell at Leicester on the sidelines due to injury.

Turkey Euro 2020 Squad

Goalkeepers

Altay Bayindir (Fenerbahçe), Fehmi Mert Gunok (Medipol Basaksehir), Ugurcan Cakir (Trabzonspor)

Defenders 

Mehmet Zeki Celik (Lille), Caglar Söyüncü (Leicester), Kaan Ayhan (Sassuolo), Merih Demiral (Juventus), Mert Muldur (Sassuolo), Ozan Muhammed Kabak (Liverpool), Rıdvan Yılmaz (Besiktas), Cengiz Umut Meraş (Le Havre)

Midfielders

Yusuf Yazici (Lille), Dorukhan Toköz (Besiktas), İrfan Can Kahveci (Fenerbahce), Okay Yokuşlu (WBA), Orkun Kökçü (Feyenoord), Ozan Tufan (Fenerbahce), Taylan Antalya (Galatasaray), Hakan Calhanoglu (Milan)

Forwards

Burak Yilmaz (Lille), Cengiz Ünder (Leicester), Enes Unal (Getafe), Efecan Karaca (Alanyaspor), Abdulkadir Omur (Trabzonspor), Muhammed Kerem Aktürkoğlu (Galatasaray), Halil İbrahim Dervisoglu (Galatasaray), Kenan Karaman (Fortuna Dusseldorf)