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Rıdvan Yılmaz (born 21 May 2001) is a Turkish professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Scottish Premiership club Rangers and the Turkey national team.

Yılmaz is a graduate of the Beşiktaş youth academy. He made 62 first-team appearances for Beşiktaş, helping them win the domestic league and cup double in the 2020–21 season. In July 2022, he joined Rangers for an initial transfer fee of £3.4 million.

Yılmaz made 50 appearances for Turkey's youth national teams, from under-16 to under-21 level. He made his senior international debut in May 2021, and was a member of Turkey's squad at UEFA Euro 2020.

Club career

Beşiktaş

Yılmaz was born in Gaziosmanpaşa, Istanbul.[2] He spent 10 years of his youth career in the academy of Beşiktaş,[3] which he joined at the age of seven.[2] Yılmaz made his professional debut with Beşiktaş as a late substitute in a 7–2 Süper Lig win over Çaykur Rizespor on 8 April 2019.[2] In the 2020–21 season, he won the Süper Lig and Turkish Cup with Beşiktaş.[4][5][6]

Rangers

On 25 July 2022, Yılmaz joined Scottish club Rangers on a five-year deal for an initial transfer fee of £3.4 million, with the deal containing add-ons that could raise the fee to £5.3 million.[7] He made his debut for the club as a substitute against Belgian team Union Saint-Gilloise, during a UEFA Champions League qualifier loss on 2 August.[8][9]

Yılmaz suffered a serious hamstring injury in a Scottish Premiership match against Aberdeen in October.[10] After more than four months, he returned to the Rangers first-team as a substitute in a Scottish Cup game against Raith Rovers in March 2023.[11]

International career

Yılmaz played youth international football for Turkey at under-16, under-17, under-18, under-19 and under-21 levels, making 50 appearances in total.[12]

In May 2021, Yılmaz was called up to the senior Turkey national football team's preliminary 30-man squad for UEFA Euro 2020.[13] He made his senior international debut on 27 May 2021, in a warm-up friendly against Azerbaijan.[12][14] He was included in Turkey's final 26-man squad for Euro 2020.[15]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 31 May 2024[16]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Beşiktaş 2018–19 Süper Lig 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2019–20 6 0 1 0 0 0 7 0
2020–21 18 1 2 0 1[c] 0 21 1
2021–22 27 3 3 0 2[d] 0 1[e] 0 33 3
Total 52 4 6 0 3 0 1 0 62 4
Rangers 2022–23 Scottish Premiership 9 0 2 0 2 0 2[d] 0 15 0
2023–24 26 1 4 0 1 1 2[c] 0 33 2
Total 35 1 6 0 3 1 4 0 48 2
Career total 87 5 12 0 3 1 7 0 1 0 110 6
  1. ^ Includes Turkish Cup, Scottish Cup
  2. ^ Includes Scottish League Cup
  3. ^ a b Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
  4. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  5. ^ Appearance in Turkish Super Cup

International

As of match played 22 March 2024[17]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Turkey 2021 5 0
2022 1 0
2024 1 0
Total 7 0

Honours

Beşiktaş

Rangers

References

  1. ^ "Rıdvan Yılmaz". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Rıdvan Yılmaz: "İşimi her zaman ciddiye aldım"". tff.org. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  3. ^ "Rıdvan Yılmaz: "10 yıldır altyapısında gururla formasını taşıdığım..."". ajansbesiktas.com. 8 April 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Goztepe 1-2 Besiktas". ESPN. 15 May 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Soccer-Besiktas claim domestic double with Turkish Cup win". reuters.com. 18 May 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Antalyaspor vs. Besiktas - 18 May 2021". soccerway.com. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  7. ^ "Ridvan Yilmaz: Rangers sign Turkey defender from Besiktas". BBC Sport. 25 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  8. ^ "Match report: Union SG 2-0 Rangers". rangers.co.uk. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  9. ^ "Union Saint-Gilloise 2-0 Rangers". BBC Sport. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  10. ^ "Ridvan Yilmaz Rangers injury comeback timeline laid bare". heraldscotland.com. 16 December 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  11. ^ "Rangers 3-0 Raith Rovers: Michael Beale's side book their place in semi-finals". skysports.com. 12 March 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  12. ^ a b "Rıdvan Yılmaz". tff.org. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  13. ^ "A Millî Takım'ın kamp kadrosu açıklandı" [A national team camp squad announced]. Turkish Football Federation (in Turkish). 14 May 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  14. ^ "Turkey 2-1 Azerbaijan". ESPN. 27 May 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  15. ^ "Turkey Euro 2020 squad profile: Best player, manager and past Euros record". fourfourtwo.com. 4 June 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  16. ^ Rıdvan Yılmaz at Soccerway. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  17. ^ "Rıdvan Yılmaz (Player)". National Football Teams. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  18. ^ "Rangers 1-0 Aberdeen". BBC. 17 December 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
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