Semih Şentürk

Semih Şentürk

Personal information
Full name	Semih Şentürk
Date of birth	(1983-04-29) 29 April 1983
Place of birth	İzmir, Turkey
Height	1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Team information
Current team	İstanbul Başakşehir
Number	23
Youth career
1993–1999	Özçamdibispor
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1999–2002	Fenerbahçe A2	56	(63)
2001–2013	Fenerbahçe	205	(56)
2001–2002	→ İzmirspor (loan)	22	(3)
2014	Antalyaspor	13	(3)
2014–	İstanbul Başakşehir	23	(11)
International career
1999–2004	Turkey U21	83	(42)
2007–2011	Turkey	28	(8)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 September 2015

Semih Şentürk (born 29 April 1983) is a Turkish professional footballer who plays for Turkish Süper Lig side İstanbul Başakşehir as a striker.

Semih has spent most of his club career at Fenerbahçe having risen through the ranks of the Fenerbahçe youth team. He scored 63 goals in 56 games for the youth team and was subsequently called up to the first team. His goalscoring exploits increased hopes among the supporters that Semih could be the future of the Fenerbahçe attacking line. Indeed, he managed to become something of a regular fixture in the team during the 2007–08 campaign, in which he scored 17 goals and finished the season as Süper Lig's top scorer. His more prominent role in the team was rewarded after he was named as the vice-captain of the team in 2007 after the departure of the former captains Ümit Özat and Tuncay Şanlı.

He secured an away victory in the 2nd round of the Champions League qualifiers, guaranteeing a place for his team in the third knockout phase of the Champions League. His four goals against MTK Budapest on 6 August 2008 meant that Semih became only the second Turkish player after Fethi Heper to score four goals in a single European match. Also he is a member of the leader fan group Genç Fenerbahçeliler. In 2008 he signed his first extension contract keeping him at the club until May 2010. In 2011 he signed another contract extension which will keep him at the club until 2014.

Şentürk was called up the Turkey team following his successful performances in the 2007–08 season. He wears the number 9 shirt, which was previously worn by the Turkish football legend Hakan Şükür. Şentürk was selected as part of the squad for the finals of the European Championships in 2008. On 11 June he came on as a substitute in the 46th minute and in the 57th minute of Turkey's second Group A match against Switzerland, he scored the equaliser with a powerful header outjumping the Swiss defence and beating the goalkeeper, even though he got a hand on it. In the quarter-finals match versus Croatia, Şentürk saved the Turkish squad from a late 1–0 defeat to Croatia, scoring a last-second equalizer in the 120+1-minute, now holding the record for scoring the latest goal in a European Championship tournament.

Club career

Semih at ceremony with Fenerbahçe

Semih has spent his entire club career at Fenerbahçe having risen through the ranks of the Fenerbahçe youth team. He scored 63 goals in 56 games for the youth team and was subsequently called up to the first team. His goalscoring exploits increased hopes among the supporters that Semih could be the future of the Fenerbahçe attacking line. Indeed, he managed to become something of a regular fixture in the team during the 2007–08 campaign, in which he scored 17 goals and finished the season as Süper Lig's top scorer. His more prominent role in the team was rewarded after he was named as the Vice-captain of the team in 2007 after the departure of the former captains Ümit Özat and Tuncay Şanlı. He secured an away victory in the 2nd round of the Champions League qualifiers, guaranteeing a place for his team in the third knockout phase of the Champions League. His four goals against MTK Budapest on 6 August 2008 meant that Semih became only the second Turkish player after Fethi Heper to score four goals in a single European match. Also he is a member of the leader fan group Genç Fenerbahçeliler. On 19 June 2013 Semih leaves the Fenerbahçe. On 26 January 2014, Semih scored his first goal for his new team Antalyaspor.

International career

Semih Şentürk playing for the Turkish National Football Team

Şentürk was called up the Turkey team following his successful performances in the 2007–08 season. He wears the number 9 shirt, which was previously worn by Turkish football legend Hakan Şükür. Şentürk was selected as part of the squad for the finals of the European Championships in 2008. On 11 June he came on as a substitute in the 46th minute and in the 57th minute of Turkey's second Group A match against Switzerland, he scored the equaliser with a powerful header outjumping the Swiss defence and beating the goalkeeper, even though he got a hand on it. In the quarter-finals match versus Croatia, Şentürk saved the Turkish squad from a late 1–0 defeat to Croatia, scoring a last-second equalizer in the 120+1-minute, now holding the record for scoring the latest goal in a European Championship tournament. Just three minutes after Croatia's goal, Turkish goalkeeper Rüştü Reçber cleared an offside free-kick long into Pletikosa's area, giving Şentürk the opportunity to score with a powerful left-foot shot. Turkey went on to win the subsequent penalty shoot-out 3–1 and advance to semi-finals. Semih successfully converted the second spotkick. The semi-finals match against Germany turned out to have a thriller ending in which Şentürk played a key role. In the 86th minute, just 7 minutes after of Klose's goal (which gave Germany a 2 to 1 advantage), Şentürk took a low cross provided by team-mate Sabri Sarıoğlu and steered in the crucial equalizer. However, his side went on to be defeated as Germany's left-back Philipp Lahm managed to score a decisive goal in the 90th minute, which knocked out Turkey from the competition. Upon the end of the competition, Şentürk received many plaudits for his last minute heroics, with the press labeling him as the super-sub of the tournament.

Career statistics

Player

As of 6 April 2015.

Club	Season	League		Cup		Europe		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Fenerbahçe	2002–03	13	3	1	0	—		14	3
	2003–04	13	1	1	1	—		14	2
	2004–05	3	0	1	0	—		4	0
	2005–06	22	9	5	4	1	0	28	13
	2006–07	18	1	7	7	7	2	32	10
	2007–08	27	17	3	0	8	2	38	19
	2008–09	24	7	5	1	6	6	35	14
	2009–10	21	6	2	1	6	0	29	7
	2010–11	25	10	4	4	2	0	31	14
	2011–12	22	1	3	2	—		25	3
	2012–13	17	1	8	3	2	0	27	4
	2013–14	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total	205	56	40	23	32	9	277	89
Antalyaspor	2013–14	13	3	5	2	—		18	5
	Total	13	3	5	2	—		18	5
İstanbul Başakşehir	2014–15	21	11	1	0	—		22	11
	Total	21	11	1	0	—		22	11
Career totals		239	70	46	25	32	9	317	105

International

Turkey national team
Year	Apps	Goals
2007	2	0
2008	6	5
2009	7	1
2010	10	2
2011	3	0
Total	28	8

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	29 May 2008	MSV-Arena, Duisburg, Germany	Finland	2 – 0	2–0	Friendly
2.	11 June 2008	St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland	Switzerland	1 – 1	2–1	UEFA Euro 2008
3.	20 June 2008	Ernst Happel Stadion, Wien, Austria	Croatia	1 – 1	1–1	UEFA Euro 2008
4.	25 June 2008	St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland	Germany	2 – 2	2–3	UEFA Euro 2008
5.	6 September 2008	Hrazdan Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia	Armenia	0 – 2	0–2	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
6.	1 April 2009	Ali Sami Yen Stadium, İstanbul, Turkey	Spain	1 – 0	1–2	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
7.	26 May 2010	Veterans Stadium, New Britain, Connecticut	Northern Ireland	2 – 0	2–0	Friendly
8.	7 September 2010	Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, İstanbul, Turkey	Belgium	2 – 1	3–2	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying

Honours

Fenerbahçe

• Süper Lig: 2000–01, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2010–11
• Türkiye Kupası: 2011–12, 2012–13
• Süper Kupa: 2007, 2009

Turkey

• UEFA European Championship: Semi-finalist: 2008

Individual

• Süper Lig Top Scorer (17 goals): 2007–08

Trivia

• He played 56 times for Fenerbahçe A2 and scored 63 goals.
• His impact on matches was compared with Ole Gunnar Solskjær during 2007/08 season, as he scored most of his goals after coming from bench.
• Şentürk scored the latest goal at 120+1 minutes in European Cup history in Turkey's Euro 2008 quarter-finals match against Croatia.
• Şentürk is frequently called "The Lifeguard" because of his knack for scoring goals late in matches.

External links

• Semih Şentürk – FIFA competition record (archived)
• Semih Şentürk at TFF.org
• Semih Şentürk at Fenerbahce.org