davieG Posted 17 November 2015 Posted 17 November 2015 Global Foxes: Muzzy Izzet Posted: Tue 17 Nov 2015 Author: Leicester City image: http://www.lcfc.com/cms_images/izzet-640280-2805076_478x359.jpg Over the years, more than 100 Leicester City players have represented 32 different nations at full international level, amassing over 800 caps between them, and scoring over 50 international goals. This season, in a new series, Club Historian John Hutchinson looks at these players and at the footballing background of the countries they played for. The Player: Muzzy Izzet image: http://www.lcfc.com/cms_images/izzet-480280-2805074.jpg In March 1996 Muzzy Izzet, an unknown Chelsea reserve, made his Leicester City debut in Martin O’Neill’s struggling side in the infamous home defeat against Sheffield United. He then played a crucial part in the run which ended in the Play-Off Final victory over Crystal Palace, and in the subsequent successful years in the Premier League which included three League Cup Finals, two League Cup wins and two European campaigns. In 1998 he was close to selection for Kevin Keegan’s England squad but he opted instead to play for Turkey. His father is a Turkish Cypriot and Muzzy took out Turkish Citizenship in 2000. The first of his eight Turkey caps as a Leicester City player was against Sweden in Euro 2000, followed by World Cup qualifiers against Sweden and Azerbaijan and a friendly against France. He made substitute appearances in warm up games for the 2002 World Cup Finals in South Korea and Japan, and played for 20 minutes as a substitute in the World Cup semi-final against Brazil. His shirt and medal from that game are on display in the Legends’ Lounge at King Power Stadium. Despite relegation in 2002, Muzzy stayed at Leicester for two more years, winning promotion back to the Premier League in 2003 and being relegated 12 months later. His subsequent move to Birmingham City, where he won his ninth and final cap, was badly affected by injury. The Country: Turkey image: http://www.lcfc.com/cms_images/izzet-turkey-480280-2805075.jpg Although the rulers of the pre-First World War Ottoman Empire discouraged football in Turkey, the three major Turkish clubs of Galatasaray, Fenerbahҫe and Beşiktaş, which have dominated Turkish football since, were founded in Istanbul the early 20th century. When Kemal Ataturk established the new Turkish Republic in 1923, an Istanbul league was already thriving. Regional competitions began in 1937 and a fully professional National League was set up in 1959. Called the Spor Toto Super Lig, it now has 18 clubs. The top two sides qualify for the Champions’ League. The third and fourth clubs, and the Cup winners, enter the qualifying rounds of the Europa League. The new republic’s national team played its first game in 1923. Turkey first qualified for the World Cup Finals in 1950, but financial pressures prevented them from competing. They qualified again for the 1954 Finals but were soon eliminated. Turkey then didn’t qualify for any major tournament until Euro 96. During these barren years, attempts were made to improve Turkish domestic football by introducing foreign players and coaches, most notably the ex-Leicester City manager Gordon Milne who took Beşiktaş to three titles in the 1980s and later coached Bursaspor and Trabzonspor. Turkey reached the European Championship Finals in 2000, were semi-finalists in 2008, and recently qualified for Euro 2016. They were also semi-finalists in the 2002 World Cup and in the 2003 Confederation Cup. Read more at http://www.lcfc.com/news/article/global-foxes-muzzy-izzet-2805070.aspx#VXU63arvbrbZBwwq.99
Arriba Los Zorros Posted 17 November 2015 Posted 17 November 2015 my favourite ever player and I suspect the same goes for a few on here. True legend is Muzzy
Wymsey Posted 17 November 2015 Posted 17 November 2015 What's he doing nowadays, does he still do some football youth club in Spain?
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