Turkish and Real Madrid fans are enthused about Guler’s potential and the flashes he’s shown at such a young age. A path that began early in life has led him to the top tier of European club football. This article explains how this adventure began and where it is now.
Guler grew raised in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, where he began his football career, before transferring to the country’s largest metropolis, Istanbul. After exhibiting flashes as a child, he joined the academy of local Ankara team Genclerbirligi at the age of nine, and it wasn’t long before scouts from Istanbul clubs took note.
However, he waited until the year of his 14th birthday, before making the switch to Fenerbahce, where he shone so brightly with the U19 team, so much so that he was given his senior debut at just 16 years and 174 days old during a Europa League qualification match against Finnish club HJK.
Born on February 25, 2005, Guler is currently 19 years old at the time of writing this. However, he was quickly introduced to the rigors of senior team football and has garnered years of experience with Turkish club Fenerbahce.
Arda Guler identifies as a follower of Islam according to various online sources, which makes him a Muslim. This is not a surprise as more than 99 percent of Turkey’s population is Muslim, and are mostly Sunni.
Guler might not be who and where he is today without his father, Umit, who played a role in his development and his mother, Serap, who supported him all the way. When the Real Madrid player was a toddler, his father would place balloons in front of his left foot to encourage him to kick with his left side and practice.
Speaking in an interview with Goal, Guler’s father highlighted why he made his son practice more with his left foot. “We didn’t have any left-footers in our family, so I put balloons and footballs in front of his left foot so he would use it more,” he said.
Receiving up to €15m in commissions, Guler’s father played a major role in his son’s move to Real Madrid. However, Fenerbahce were not happy with the commission he received, as they felt it made it more difficult for other clubs who were interested in the left-footer despite having a release clause of just €17.5 m.
Guler earns €5.2m per year at Real Madrid, which is about €100,000 per week. According to the list of Real Madrid player salaries published on Capology, the Turkish star is one of the three lowest-paid players in the club, with only Andriy Lunin and Joselu earning lower wages.
