Featured Image Credit: Getty & Twitter @ManagingBarca
Topics: Arda Turan, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, EFL Championship, Football, Lionel Messi, Premier League, QPR, Fan Reactions
Joe Adams
Topics: Arda Turan, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, EFL Championship, Football, Lionel Messi, Premier League, QPR, Fan Reactions
Former Barcelona and Atletico Madrid winger Arda Turan looks unrecognisable compared to his playing days, despite retiring just one year ago.
Turan called time on a trophy-laden career last season, announcing his retirement from football at Galatasaray last September.
He previously spent five seasons at Barcelona, scoring 15 goals in 55 games for the Catalan giants and winning La Liga and two Copa del Reys.
However, he struggled to stamp his mark on a team that included superstars Lionel Messi and Neymar, and was sent out on loan three times.
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Before that, the former Turkey international enjoyed huge success at Atletico Madrid, winning another league title, the Europa League and reaching a Champions League final.
Whilst he he is his country's fifth most capped player of all time with 100 appearances under his belt and helped reach the Euro semi-finals in 2008.
Turan, 36, now manages Eyupspor in Turkey's second division, and an image shared on social media showed him during a training session sporting a new-look grey beard.
Fans were left in shock by the image, with some refusing to believe it was actually Turan, who is the same age as ex teammate Messi.
"He looks like 46," one fan wrote.
"This can't be real", another added.
"Bro skipped 30 years", a third said, with a forth exclaiming: "We got the wrong Arda."
"This is Gerard Butler", another joked.
Turan recently offered his thoughts on his compatriot, Arda Guler's move to Real Madrid, admitting he would have been "much happier" if he had joined Barcelona, but tipped him to become one of the "best players in the world".
“I would have been much happier if Arda Guler had gone to Barcelona, but I don’t find it strange his choice to join Real Madrid,” Turan said in an interview with Rezzan Yetis on Tivibu Spor.
“The Barcelona I played for was the best in history, but the current Barcelona is a rebuilding Barcelona. Real Madrid is also getting younger but they are a more mature team. I wish him well.
“Arda Guler is a very valuable player for our country’s football. I believe he will be one of the best football players in the world.”