‘An Unforgettable Experience’ – Izzet’s FIFA World Cup Memories

[davieG]

Deserves his own thread on this.

 

In one of several interviews over the years with Club Historian John Hutchinson, Muzzy Izzet, a star midfielder for Leicester City between 1996 and 2004, recalled playing for Turkey in the 2002 FIFA World Cup Semi-Final against eventual winners Brazil.
A hugely popular player at Filbert Street and then Walkers Stadium, now called King Power Stadium, England-born Muzzy was often linked with playing for the Three Lions during his time as a Fox. That never materialised, however, and it was Turkey who he would go on to represent on the international stage.
“My father is Turkish,” Muzzy said. “The [England] manager at the time when I was being suggested for the squad was Kevin Keegan. I felt I was playing well enough to get a chance to get in the squad. Whether I would be playing or not was another matter. At that time there was Gazza (Paul Gascoigne), Paul Ince, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, David Beckham, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes and they were all at their best.
“I had had an offer to play for Turkey, so my agent had a word with Keegan, and he said l might get into the squad but that I was not someone who would necessarily play. So, I thought maybe playing for Turkey would be the best scenario for me.
“A lot was made of me having to do Turkish National Service in the army, but the Turkish authorities said at the outset that I wouldn’t have to do this. It was just that I had to get a Turkish passport. Anyone who has a Turkish passport has, by law, to do two years National Service. However, because I was never going to live in Turkey, but just represent the national team, they waived this.”

 

Continues here - https://www.lcfc.com/media-article/muzzy-izzet-turkey-fifa-world-cup-2002-brazil-semi-finals-leicester-city?fbclid=IwY2xjawSUsUpleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeOh9MEVO3NcRBq4AnfKu2a6mHswD_BFRyYOsctBDLcHBqIKoSLHKMgiCxhIE_aem_YQKLOPq8CmA5Ie9Zmt_l5w

[kushiro]

Interesting that he skirts over the downside of that World Cup. In his book, he opened up about how miserable he was:

 

I would walk the streets of South Korea, later Japan, and go into shops and buy DVDs. I was lonely, isolated. Most days the squad would get together and go to a local mosque. Most of the team are Muslim. I’m not a Muslim. My memories of that World Cup are me in a hotel room by myself, curtains closed, lying on my bed, watching another film. My biggest regret was that I never learned Turkish.

[davieG]

12 minutes ago, kushiro said:

Interesting that he skirts over the downside of that World Cup. In his book, he opened up about how miserable he was:

 

I would walk the streets of South Korea, later Japan, and go into shops and buy DVDs. I was lonely, isolated. Most days the squad would get together and go to a local mosque. Most of the team are Muslim. I’m not a Muslim. My memories of that World Cup are me in a hotel room by myself, curtains closed, lying on my bed, watching another film. My biggest regret was that I never learned Turkish.

I guess over time you can forget the bad and concentrate on the good but I'm sure it's still lurking in his sub-conscious.

 

I'm sure he also feels rejected for not getting and England run.

[bovril]

18 minutes ago, kushiro said:

Interesting that he skirts over the downside of that World Cup. In his book, he opened up about how miserable he was:

 

I would walk the streets of South Korea, later Japan, and go into shops and buy DVDs. I was lonely, isolated. Most days the squad would get together and go to a local mosque. Most of the team are Muslim. I’m not a Muslim. My memories of that World Cup are me in a hotel room by myself, curtains closed, lying on my bed, watching another film. My biggest regret was that I never learned Turkish.

Meanwhile he was booed by Everton fans in 2000 for being half Turkish. Typical story for dual nationals - too foreign for here, doesn't fit in back there...

[STEVIE B]

42 minutes ago, kushiro said:

Interesting that he skirts over the downside of that World Cup. In his book, he opened up about how miserable he was:

 

I would walk the streets of South Korea, later Japan, and go into shops and buy DVDs. I was lonely, isolated. Most days the squad would get together and go to a local mosque. Most of the team are Muslim. I’m not a Muslim. My memories of that World Cup are me in a hotel room by myself, curtains closed, lying on my bed, watching another film. My biggest regret was that I never learned Turkish.

I was in the same quiz team as his wife, Carly, a few years back now.

She echoed this. She said he spent 6 weeks of nobody really conversing with him, before & during the WC.

Although very proud to be in the squad, he found it very difficult too.

[deep blue]

A travesty he never played for England.  Even though he was  competing with several good midfielders for a place I would put him as arguably th most complete midfielder in the English league in his prime.

[Sol thewall Bamba]

5 hours ago, bovril said:

Meanwhile he was booed by Everton fans in 2000 for being half Turkish. Typical story for dual nationals - too foreign for here, doesn't fit in back there...

Proper tooorrrrrry that laaaaaaa as they would say nowadays.