"Emotional words from Kerem Aktürkoğlu that touched Galatasaray fans."

Our national star Kerem Aktürkoğlu, who wears the Benfica jersey, made striking statements on various topics, including his days in Portugal, his career at Benfica, his memories of Galatasaray, and his future plans.

"I GOT USED TO PORTUGAL"

Kerem Aktürkoğlu's statements to TRT Spor are as follows;

"I got used to it. Since my professional life started, I have been continuing my life in a professional manner for 10 years. Since I have been constantly adapting to professional life, I did not experience any difficulties during the adaptation process, and my adaptation here developed quickly. This allows me to progress in a happier and more successful way. I haven't had much opportunity to travel. We play a match every three days, and there have been national team breaks as well. I haven't had much chance to take a vacation.

"I HOPE THE BEAUTIFUL START CONTINUES"

When I was at Galatasaray, I was playing in a team that possessed the ball, and since the ball was with us, I was in constant contact with it, which made me more creative. Benfica is a team that plays in the same way. After coming to Benfica, I started with a beautiful beginning. I had a nice start. Since I am used to this football, I did not feel like a stranger, but the influence of the fans and my teammates is also very significant. They never made me feel like a stranger. I hope it continues this way.

"I WAS VERY IMPRESSED BY EVERYONE APPLAUDING ME STANDING"

I was very emotional and impressed when everyone applauded me standing. Such things motivate a person in a very different way. We football players are emotional people, and I am one of them. This affects me positively. My father was in the stands, I thought about what he experienced, and I felt proud. The feelings I had while walking were very different. It lasted a long time and kept increasing. It was a very beautiful sight. It affected me a lot. Having such a thing happen in the first match took me to a different level.

NEW GOAL CELEBRATION

Let me describe my goal celebration. We football players are emotional people. The media and people said, 'You can't do it. You won't succeed. That level is the maximum place you can go. You can go, but you will come back.' In my goal celebration, I actually wanted to say, 'I can do it, I am here, this is me.' Don't get me wrong, this is not an ego. I haven't achieved anything yet; I still have dreams, and I am working hard. There are many things I want to do to make my country, my family, and my loved ones proud.

YUNUS AKGÜN'S WORDS

Yunus Akgün surpassed me, scoring four goals in the Europa League. Yunus has a very special place in my life. I have explained this before. Why is Yunus so valuable to me? Yunus did something that I might not be able to do; he did it while I was playing, and he did it while he wasn't playing. Yunus is really a very pure-hearted, beautiful person. All football players want to play. When they can't find a jersey, their morale drops emotionally. Yunus motivated me as if he were playing when I was playing; he prepared me for the match. He was as happy as I was, and after seeing that sincerity in his eyes, he became my dear friend, a very special person for me. Yunus has a very special place in my life. He will also be a part of my life after football. In my opinion, he is much more talented than I am. There are no limits to what he can do. He gained that self-confidence and plays completely differently on the field.

"ICARDI IS A GALATASARAY LEGEND"

Icardi is a Galatasaray legend. There are many moments when he has made history at Galatasaray. I am one of the people involved in this process. There are countless moments we achieved together. I believe he will return even stronger and continue to be a legend. I told him that too. Get well soon again. I hope he continues to score goals for our Galatasaray as soon as possible.

RESPONSE TO CRITICISMS

I don't want to separate between local and foreign players. Every player wearing the jersey is very valuable. We can say this importance for everyone. Yunus and Barış, two local players, are very valuable players for Galatasaray. Yunus is currently achieving successful things with self-confidence. This positively reflects on the field. If a player knows how much luxury they have to make mistakes, they will play more comfortably. This is inversely proportional. I am in favor of giving more trust and support to local players. I am here, and I can provide my support to my teammates in this regard. The most important thing our fans can do is to provide support even in bad times. There will be ups and downs in life. There will be downs so that the next step can rise higher; at least addressing these is very important.

"THE THING THAT MAKES ME WHO I AM IS STRUGGLE"

My life has been filled with struggles. One of the criteria that makes me who I am is struggle. I worked very hard to get here; I went through many struggles. My family has always been by my side; they witnessed this, and they know what I have experienced. I don't live some things as myself. Since my family lives it with me, I felt that I had to stay much stronger. The thought of upsetting my family made me fight harder. I motivated myself this way during tough times. I really think my mentality is strong, but that doesn't mean I don't get sad. We are emotional people. We will get sad and reflect that in the best way on the field. You will take the part of the criticism that leads you to the good. If it pulls you to the bad side, you cannot perform beautifully. I am one of those who remain on the strong side in this regard. But there are also players who cannot stay the same way. It seems like an easy job, but it is a difficult job. This is one of the nuances of our job.

"I DID NOT LEAVE GALATASARAY"

I watch the edits. I love Galatasaray very much; I have expressed this many times. I still watch Galatasaray matches. I rejoice with them, and I feel sad with them. I laugh at the funny ones. I feel sad about the emotional ones. After leaving, I said that I am not leaving Galatasaray; my loved ones are coming with me wherever I go. It is still happening that way. I watch Galatasaray matches. The edits make me happy, I enjoy them, and sometimes they make me emotional. Galatasaray is my home, Galatasaray is my nest. A person can leave their home but not give it up. It is the same for me. I always have dreams, and I live with the hope of realizing them. My dreams are always with me. I don't want to express them too much. I think that if I express them too much, the emotion will escape. My dreams are always with me. Until the end of my career, my dreams will never end. I still have dreams. I will always live with my dreams. I live to realize them.

"FATIH TERIM HAS A VERY SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART"

My father is my hero and also my companion on this journey. We have traveled all over the country. He is still coming to the matches here. His place in my career is very special, and in my life, it is also special. My mother and brother have their own special places. Fatih Hoca has a special place in football. When no one believed in me, he believed in me with his faith and confidence and made me believe that I would reach another level. After leaving Galatasaray, he said that I was one of the best attackers in Europe. He says this in every conversation we have. He does this to emphasize that if you forget, I do not forget. For him, his place in my life is very special.

"WE HAVE CREATED A BEAUTIFUL CHEMISTRY WITH ORKUN"

Orkun is achieving beautiful things here.

He has felt a bit of unfamiliarity, but after I came, we created a much better chemistry. We uplift each other in terms of morale and motivation. He is a very high-quality player, a player that every attacking player would want to play with. He makes me feel very comfortable on the field. We are achieving great things, and we will continue to do so, hopefully.

WHAT WILL HE DO AFTER FOOTBALL?

I have always said that I have dreams, and I live in accordance with them. I will always have dreams until the end of my career. I want to achieve these before my career ends. I also have dreams and goals after my football career. Right now, putting these in front of me could jeopardize my football career. Since I am currently focused only on football, I keep these in the background.

"I AM A GALATASARAY FAN"

I am a Galatasaray fan, and I watch all the matches. I believe they will become champions. They are doing incredibly well in Europe and the league. They have caught a beautiful synergy. I truly believe from my heart that they will become champions and wear the 5th star.

NATIONAL TEAM AND WORLD CUP

"One of the things our country longs for the most is the World Cup. The last time we went was in 2002. We haven't been able to go since then. We made them dream of it in the European Championship. I believe we have shown the potential that this generation can achieve something. It is very important to be able to show this on the field. We live with the dream of this. We have a wonderful group, and we are eagerly looking forward to the national team camps. There is a family atmosphere in the national team. This friendship leads us to success. If we can maintain this beautiful environment, success will come. Hopefully, the World Cup will be one of those successes.