10 Things to Know about Zeki Celik!

On Tuesday morning Zeki Celik officially became the club's third signing of the summer.

Our newest arrival joins with a wealth of experience and achievements already behind him - here's what you need to know about the Turkiye international!

1. The starting point

Mehmet Zeki Celik was born in Yildirim in Turkiye on 17 February 1997.

His family, of which he is the last of nine brothers, has roots in Mus but moved to Yildirim - which is about two hours outside of Istanbul - two years before Zeki was born.

2. Following in the footsteps

Celik will become the fourth Turkish player to represent Roma. The first to do so was Salih Ucan, who was a member of the squad between 2014 and 2016, while Cengiz Under (2017-2020) and Mert Cetin (2019-20) have since followed.

3. His position

Celik is a classic right full-back, albeit one blessed with a decent attacking threat.

In his career to date he has managed 11 goals and 15 assists, while the 2020-21 season - which saw him win the Ligue 1 title with LOSC Lille - saw him provide three goals and three assists in 29 appearances.

4. His footballing background

Yıldırım is in the province of Bursa, and Celik began his football career at Bursaspor, following some early training in the game at Yazum Selim Spor.

Nevertheless, Celik never forgot what that club did for him - paying tribute when he lifted the French title last summer.

"What I learned there helped me to win this league," he said.

5. His playing style

Like any modern full-back, Celik is grounded in the defensive game but can contribute going forward too.

This video demonstrates some of his all-round qualities...

6. His focus on the game

A few years ago, in an interview given to a Turkish media outlet, Celik spoke about his love for the game.

"I sleep thinking about football and I wake up thinking about football," he said. "I rewatch all the matches. I never get tired of working hard and I always push to do that little bit extra to keep improving."

"I sleep thinking about football and I wake up thinking about football"

- Mehmet Zeki Celik

7. The trophy cabinet

At 25 years old, Celik has already won Ligue 1 and the French Supercup during his career - both of them with Lille.

8. His idols

Celik has cited Manchester City and England full-back Kyle Walker as one of his main inspirations as a footballer.

"I've watched him since he was at Tottenham," he said.

"Sometimes Guardiola has used him as a centre-back, something I have done as well."

Celik has also noted Maicon (a former Roma player himself) and Dani Alves as players he has studied and admired.

9. Away from the game

When he is not playing football, Celik can often be found ... well, playing football. He is passionate about football videogames and during the 2020 lockdown played on his console for 45 days in a row...

10. Follow him on social media

Celik has two official social media accounts: Twitter and Instagram.