08.01.2026 17:23
Sarıyer's experienced footballer Ömer Bayram stated that he was very impressed by the atmosphere in the stands during the UEFA Champions League match in which his childhood friend, Liverpool's Dutch defender Virgil Van Dijk, played against Galatasaray, saying, "I always told him, 'I hope to see you at Galatasaray one day.' Honestly, I am looking forward to him playing for Galatasaray."
Ömer Bayram, the experienced left-back of Sarıyer, one of the teams in the Trendyol 1st League, made special statements to İhlas News Agency (IHA) reporter about his friendship with Liverpool's Dutch defender Virgil Van Dijk and his time at Galatasaray.
'WORKING WITH HIM WAS A DREAM FOR ME' Ömer Bayram, who expressed pride in having worked with coaches like Fatih Terim and Okan Buruk in his career, said, "I need to open a separate parenthesis for coach Fatih. Since we were born in the Netherlands and closely witnessed the 2000s, we were really fans of Galatasaray. It was a blessing to work with coach Fatih here. It was a dream for me. I learned a lot from him. He was particularly strong in preparing a player mentally. His credibility was very important. I can praise coach Fatih in this regard. We also had a beautiful past with coach Okan. We won cups together in Akhisar. His dialogue was also good. We succeeded by creating good energy and a good environment as a team tactically. He contributed a lot to us. I can somewhat compare the playing styles of coach Okan and coach Servet. Both want to play, and they do not want to make the team defend or play for time in any way. They always have a play-based mindset. I am very pleased to have worked with such valuable and important people," he said.
'IF BAYERN CAN DO IT, GALATASARAY CAN TOO' Ömer Bayram stated that he sees Galatasaray as advantageous in the championship race in the Super League and that the yellow-reds are on the path to achieving success like the German team Bayern Munich, saying, "I definitely see Galatasaray as advantageous. In fact, in my opinion, the situation is as follows; just as Bayern Munich has been doing recently in Germany, I believe Galatasaray can achieve this as well. Because they are progressing by adding more and more. Very high-level players are coming to our country. I think there are no longer any limits in this regard. At this rate, I believe Galatasaray will still bring very important names to Turkey," he said.
'WE SHARED OUR SANDWICH' Ömer Bayram, the 34-year-old footballer who stated that he is still in contact with his childhood friend, Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk, and talked about the memories they shared, said, "We still have communication. He also has a busy match schedule, of course. I am proud of him. We were together outside, on the streets, and in the futsal courts at a very young age due to our neighborhood. I loved crossing the ball to him, and he loved heading it. We would throw the ball to each other in different ways. We contributed a lot to each other. I was able to achieve successes that I could not have imagined. My dream was always to play for Galatasaray. If you ask me, we can say that Van Dijk is one of the best defenders in the world. We have such memories. For example, we used to go to the market together, and we both had 2 Euros in our pockets. We would share a sandwich or something else together. We came from those days to where we are now. For me, Van Dijk will always have a special place," he said.
'I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO HIM PLAYING FOR GALATASARAY' Ömer Bayram stated that Virgil Van Dijk was very impressed by the atmosphere in the stands during the match he played against Galatasaray at RAMS Park in the UEFA Champions League, and continued his words as follows: "I can say that he was quite impressed. I always told him, 'I hope to see you at Galatasaray one day.' There is nothing negative about this. But of course, the decision is his. I would be very happy if something like that happens. Honestly, I am looking forward to him playing for Galatasaray."