Metin Oktay, born 1936 in Izmir,Turkey, was a legendary Turkish footballer in striker position. He is regarded as one of the most successful goalscorers in Turkey. 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Shows the Location of the Province Ä°zmir Izmir from space, June 1996 Izmir (Turkish spelling Ä°zmir, contraction of its former name Smyrna), the second-largest port (after Ä°stanbul) and the third most populous city (2,409,000 in 2000) of Turkey, is located on the Aegean Sea near the Gulf... The term footballer is ambiguous, as there are several games known as football. ... Strikers, also known as centre forwards, forwards, and attackers, are the players on a team in football (soccer) in the row nearest to the opposing teams goal, who are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals. ...

Oktay moved from Yün Mensucat team to Izmirspor in 1954 and became with 17 goals top-scorer in the Secondary Division the same season, and started so his top goalscorer era. In 1955, Gündüz Kılıç, trainer and former footballer of Galatasaray SK transferred him. Oktay, then only 19 years old, signed a five years contract with Galatasaray in exchange of Chevrolet car. Despite his young age, he became with 19 goals top-scorer in his first season in the Istanbul League, and his team became champion that season. 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Galatasaray SK Logo Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (Galatasaray Sports Club) is a Turkish sports club based in İstanbul which is most famous for its football section. ... Chevrolet Logo Chevrolet, or Chevy, is a brand of automobile, now part of the General Motors group. ...

Metin Oktay wore only the uniform of Galatasaray until 1969, with an exception of a short spell in the season 1961-1962, when he played for Palermo, Italy. He was 6 times top goalscorer during his career and set a record with 217 goals in total. Tanju Çolak could break that record in 1988 only. Nicknamed the Taçsız Kral or "Uncrowned King", he was a particularly strong goal scorer in derby matches. During a derby against Galatasaray's hated rivals Fenerbahçe in 1959, he shot the ball so hard that it tore a hole through the back of the opponents' net. Including this unforgettable shot, Oktay scored 18 goals against Fenerbahçe in his career. Another Istanbul rival, Beşiktaş received 13 goals from him. 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday For other uses, see Number 1969. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... US Città di Palermo is an Italian football team which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. ... Tanju Çolak, born 1963 in Samsun, Turkey, is a successful Turkish footballer in striker position. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fenerbahçe is the name of a district in Kadikoy region of Istanbul, Turkey. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Beşiktaş logo Beşiktaş is a Turkish football club from İstanbul. ...

He played 36 times in the Turkish national team and scored 19 goals. Breaking every record in the history of Turkish football, the "King" retired in 1969. Metin Oktay died on September 13, 1991 in Istanbul following a tragic car accident. First International Turkey 2 - 2 Romania (Istanbul, Turkey; October 26, 1923) Largest win Turkey 7 - 0 Syria (Ankara, Turkey; November 20, 1949) Turkey 7 - 0 South Korea (Geneva, Switzerland; June 20, 1954) Turkey 7 - 0 San Marino (Istanbul, Turkey; November 10, 1996) Worst defeat Poland 8 - 0 Turkey (Chorzow, Poland... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday For other uses, see Number 1969. ... September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... 1991 (MCMXCI) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Shows the Location of the Province İstanbul Istanbul (Turkish: İstanbul; a contraction of Greek εις την πολιν into the city, the former Constantinople, Κωνσταντινούπολις) is the largest city in Turkey, and arguably the most important. ...

Every year on the anniverary of his death, Galatasaray players and staff pay homage to the "Uncrowned King" at his grave in Istanbul.

Galatasaray's sports complex and training facility, located in Florya, Istanbul, is named after him.

Career achievements

• Most goals by a player (632),
• Most goals in consecutive seasons by a player (11),
• Most goals by a player in one season (38),
• Most seasons as top scorer (6 times in 1959, 1959-1960, 1960-1961, 1962-1963, 1964-1965 and 1968-1969),
• Best average of goals per match (1.46),
• Most goals at international level by a Turkish player (19),
• Three championships and four Turkish cups.

External Links

• Taçsýz Kral