Mehmet Zeki Çelik (Turkish pronunciation: [ˈzeci ˈtʃelik]; born 17 February 1997) is a Turkish professional footballer who plays as a right-back or right wing-back for Serie A club Roma and the Turkey national team.

Zeki Çelik
Çelik playing for Turkey in 2020
Personal information
Full name Mehmet Zeki Çelik
Date of birth (1997-02-17) 17 February 1997 (age 27)
Place of birth Yıldırım, Turkey
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s) Right-back, right wing-back
Team information
Current team
Roma
Number 19
Youth career
2008–2009 Yavuz Selimspor
2009–2015 Bursaspor
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2016 Bursaspor 0 (0)
2015–2016Karacabeyspor (loan) 34 (0)
2016–2018 İstanbulspor 64 (3)
2018–2022 Lille 118 (6)
2022– Roma 53 (0)
International career
2012–2013 Turkey U16 11 (0)
2013–2014 Turkey U17 12 (0)
2014 Turkey U18 2 (0)
2017–2018 Turkey U21 9 (0)
2018– Turkey 53 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 November 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16 November 2024

Club career

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Bursaspor

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Born in Bursa as the youngest of nine children, Çelik went through the Bursaspor youth academy and became a professional in 2015. He signed on loan with Karacabey Birlikspor in 2015.

İstanbulspor

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In 2016, he joined İstanbulspor. His good performance with İstanbulspor earned him a call-up to the senior Turkey national team in 2018, despite playing in the TFF First League.[2]

Lille

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On 8 July 2018, Çelik signed with Lille in France on a five-year contract.[3][4] Çelik made his professional debut in a 3–1 Ligue 1 win over Stade Rennes on 11 August 2018.[5]

Roma

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On 5 July 2022, Çelik’s transfer to Roma from Lille was made official by the Serie A club, Roma.[6] He has signed a four-year contract with the Giallorossi that runs until 30 June 2026.[7] He made his Serie A debut in a 1–0 win over Cremonese on 22 August 2022.

International career

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Çelik made his professional debut for the Turkey national team in a 1–1 friendly with Russia on 5 June 2018.[8]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 10 November 2024[9]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Bursaspor 2015–16 Süper Lig 0 0 0 0 0 0
Karacabeyspor (loan) 2015–16 TFF Second League 34 0 1 0 35 0
İstanbulspor 2016–17 TFF Second League 31 0 0 0 31 0
2017–18 TFF First League 33 0 5 0 38 0
Total 64 0 6 0 69 0
Lille 2018–19 Ligue 1 34 1 2 0 36 1
2019–20 23 0 3 0 6[b] 0 32 0
2020–21 29 3 2 0 4[c] 1 35 4
2021–22 32 2 1 1 7[b] 0 40 3
Total 118 6 8 1 17 1 143 8
Roma 2022–23 Serie A 24 0 2 0 8[c] 0 34 0
2023–24 17 0 1 0 11[c] 0 29 0
2024–25 12 0 0 0 4[c] 0 16 0
Total 53 0 3 0 23 0 79 0
Career total 269 7 17 1 40 1 326 9

International

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As of match played 16 November 2024[9]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Turkey 2018 4 0
2019 10 2
2020 4 0
2021 11 0
2022 6 0
2023 7 0
2024 11 0
Total 53 2

Scores and results list Turkey's goal tally first.[9]

List of international goals scored by Zeki Çelik
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 2 June 2019 Bahçeşehir Okulları Stadium, Alanya, Turkey   Uzbekistan 1–0 2–0 Friendly
2. 2–0

Honours

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Istanbulspor

Lille

Roma

References

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  1. ^ "Zeki Çelik". Lille OSC. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  2. ^ "Mehmet Zeki Çelik: Sağın yeni gözdesi - TamSaha Detay Sayfası TFF". www.tff.org.
  3. ^ "Zeki Celik, international turc, est Lillois - Lille LOSC". www.losc.fr.
  4. ^ "Transferts : Zeki Celik a signé à Lille". L'Équipe (in French). 8 July 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  5. ^ "Lille vs. Rennes - 11 August 2018 - Soccerway". Soccerway.
  6. ^ "Official: Zeki Çelik joins Roma from Lille - A.S. Roma". www.romapress.net.
  7. ^ "Zeki Celik Completes Move to Roma". A.S. Roma. 5 July 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  8. ^ "RUSYA 1–1 TÜRKİYE – A Milli Takım Haber Detayları TFF". www.tff.org.
  9. ^ a b c "Mehmet Zeki Çelik". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  10. ^ "Lille hold their nerve to clinch their first Ligue 1 title for a decade". The Guardian. 23 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  11. ^ Lowe, Sid (31 May 2023). "Montiel edges Sevilla to seventh Europa League triumph with win over Roma". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
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