The Unrecognisable Transformation of Former Barcelona Winger Arda Turan
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It's hard to believe that it has been just a year since former Barcelona and Atletico Madrid winger Arda Turan retired from football. The 36-year-old, who is the same age as his former teammate Lionel Messi, has been pictured looking unrecognisable compared to his playing days. In an image shared by Managing Barca on Twitter, he now sports a grey beard that was absent in his playing days, and ages him considerably.
As a player, Turan scored 15 goals for the Catalan Giants in 55 games across five years (although three were spent away from the club on loan), winning La Liga and two Copa del Reys. He enjoyed greater success in an earlier spell at Atletico Madrid, winning another league title, the Europa League and reaching a Champions League final. In international football, he is his country's fifth most capped player of all time with 100 appearances and took his side to the Euro semi-finals in 2008.
His playing career ended in Turkey with Galatasaray, and he now manages Eyupspor in the country's second division. He arrived in a star-studded Catalan side that had won the treble the previous season and it was a tough side to break into. He joined the club for £29 million, joining a side that had just won the treble with Messi and Neymar operating in wide areas.
Turan's managerial career in Turkey began in April last season as he joined Eyupspor with eight games remaining. He got off to an inauspicious start as their first game was lost 1-0 without registering a shot on target, but they did make it to the play-offs after finishing sixth.
The transformation of Arda Turan from a talented Barcelona winger to a manager of a Turkish second division team in just one year is remarkable. He was a reliable squad player at the Nou Camp, but never established himself as a regular. His current look, sporting a grey beard and looking considerably older than his 36 years, is a far cry from the Barcelona days. It is a reminder of how quickly time passes and how quickly things can change in football.
