10.04.2026 21:11
Hull City's successful goalkeeping coach Erbil Bozkurt spoke about the national goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır, saying, "Uğurcan has been playing like this for years; the only thing that has changed is the team he plays for. He is currently among the top 10 goalkeepers in the world."
Erbil Bozkurt, the goalkeeping coach of Hull City, one of the teams in the England Championship, is experiencing the pride of his goalkeepers receiving national team calls for the first time from their countries.
Born in London in 1990, Erbil Bozkurt was influenced by Rüştü Reçber, who wore the green jersey and guarded the national team goal in the Turkey-Croatia match he watched live with his father during the 1996 European Football Championship. He continues his career at Hull City as one of the few Turkish coaches who hold an English Football Association and UEFA A license.
At 36 years old, Bozkurt, who turned to coaching after retiring from football in 2016, stated, "I love doing this job very much, and it reflects on the goalkeepers I work with. I have worked with very different goalkeepers in the youth and senior teams. Ivor Pandur's selection for the national team is very proud for me. He was selected for the Croatian National Team for the first time and will likely go to the World Cup as well. Before this, I worked with Seny Dieng at Queens Park Rangers. We were in the youth team together and moved up to the senior team together. Dieng was also called up to the Senegal National Team at that time. In fact, he went to the Africa Cup of Nations, and they won the cup that season," he said.
''ALTAY'S MOVE TO ENGLAND IS A GREAT SUCCESS''
Highlighting the difficulty of the Premier League, Erbil Bozkurt commented on Altay Bayındır's transfer to Manchester United, saying, "Altay's move to England is a great success. He came to a club like Manchester United. Coming to England is very difficult for a goalkeeper; it is a physically demanding league. It is hard for not only Turks but for all foreigners to come to the Premier League and Championship. Nowhere in the world are goalkeepers put under such physical pressure. Despite VAR, fouls are not called in England for corner kicks and situations that would be fouls in European cups. I am sure that if Altay continues like this, he will receive offers from other big clubs in Europe," he expressed.
Bozkurt noted that other Turkish goalkeepers will also come to England after Altay Bayındır, stating, "There are very good goalkeepers in the youth teams and national teams that European clubs are following. The scouting teams and goalkeeping coaches of many English teams always contact me, asking questions like 'Can you provide details about this goalkeeper?', 'What is his character like?', 'When will he play?'. There are 5-6 goalkeepers that English teams are watching in the youth teams."
''THERE IS ALWAYS BAKLAVA ON BIRTHDAYS AND HOLIDAYS''
Bozkurt emphasized that Turkish businessman Acun Ilıcalı played a significant role in his move to Hull City, saying, "After working at 5 English clubs, coming to Hull City, a club with a Turkish owner, is a source of pride for me. There are Turkish employees at the club, and we go to Turkey for training camp at the beginning of the season; the interest we see there is very nice. English fans come to matches with Turkish flags. There are Turkish flags in our stadium. This is very prideful for someone who was born and raised in England. Seeing Turkish flags is very, very important."
Bozkurt mentioned that even English staff at the club sometimes speak Turkish, saying, "Although the coaches are Croatian, they also speak Turkish sometimes. Although the head chef is foreign, he tries to make Turkish dishes as much as he can. There is always baklava on birthdays and holidays," he said.
''HE LOVES BEŞİKTAŞ AND FOLLOWS TURKISH FOOTBALL''
Bozkurt shared that Queens Park Rangers, one of the Championship teams he previously worked with, is very important to him, continuing, "I went there as a youth goalkeeping coach. Within 1.5-2 years, I started working with the senior team as well. Les Ferdinand, the then head coach, and the head of youth development were very helpful. After seeing my relationship with the goalkeepers and how I worked, a good relationship started. Les Ferdinand and I constantly talk about Turkish football and Beşiktaş. He loves Beşiktaş and follows Turkish football. He is a very good person. He has been a great help to Queens Park Rangers during his time as a football director. The club was going through some tough times."
''WE TALKED WITH OSAYI BEFORE HE WENT TO FENERBAHÇE''
Bozkurt noted that Bright Osayi-Samuel, the English footballer who transferred to Fenerbahçe while working at Queens Park Rangers, asked him about Turkey and Turkish football, stating, "We talked a lot with Bright Osayi-Samuel before he went to Fenerbahçe. He was asking about Turkey and Turkish football. He had made a mid-season transfer. He wasn't very sure, honestly, as he had always played in England. At that time, both Les Ferdinand and I sat down and talked a lot with him. Then he went to Fenerbahçe and was successful. We still keep in touch; he thanks me for the advice I gave him. He always tells me that he enjoys playing a lot."
''UGURCAN IS AMONG THE TOP 10 GOALKEEPERS IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW''
Bozkurt pointed out that Uğurcan Çakır has shown very important performances both in Galatasaray and the national team, saying, "But this is not new. Uğurcan has been playing like this for years; the only thing that has changed is the team he plays for. Since the system of the team he plays for is different, he stands out a bit more. The team competes in Europe, so he plays at a higher level. His feet and playing from the back are very good. Uğurcan has always done this. The team he plays for now suits him better, so he stands out. He is currently among the top 10 goalkeepers in the world. I am sure he will develop even more."
Erbil Bozkurt emphasized that one of the strongest aspects of the national team in the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the goalkeepers, stating, "We have 5-6 goalkeepers who will play in the national team. I watched Mert Günok in training last season. Despite his age, he trains like a 24-25-year-old goalkeeper. He is in a very good physical condition. He can play for many years. There is no problem in the goalkeeper position in the national team. We can also add Muhammed Şengezer. Ersin has also experienced championship at a young age and played in the Champions League. He captained a club like Beşiktaş. Meanwhile, Berke is showing a very successful performance in France. This will continue as well."
''WE ARE HAVING A VERY GOOD SEASON''
Evaluating his two seasons at Hull City, Bozkurt said, "Last season was a very good experience for us, for the club.
We didn't have a good season. We stayed in the league by goal difference in the last week. The Championship is really a very tough league. Some Turkish footballers have played here, and the first thing they say is that the tempo is very high. With almost the same players, we are having a very good season this year. We have been in the play-off zone since the beginning of the season in a year with a transfer ban," he said.
Bozkurt, in response to a question about Manchester City Manager Pep Guardiola's expectations from goalkeepers, said, "The most important duty of a goalkeeper is not to concede goals. Unfortunately, some coaches want to play with a system, they want to play from the back, to pass. What Guardiola does here is very important, very successful, but he does it with top-level players. I watched Uğurcan and Donnarumma live in the Manchester City-Galatasaray match. When the ball comes to Donnarumma, he has at least 4 passing options; not every team can do that. Guardiola plays from the back, he has changed football a lot, but that doesn't mean a team in the second or third league should play like that." he replied.