“I always knew he'd be special”, says ex-team-mate on Deniz Gül | OneFootball

Markus Karlsson followed Deniz Gul at Hammarby in 2023 and 2024, and had also been his teammate in Sweden’s under-19 team. Today, he watches the forward with pride, both for the leap he made to Portugal and for the persistence with which he has pursued his opportunity. The Turkish international has not had an easy task establishing himself at the Dragão, after a turbulent first season in which little went right for FC Porto, and in the current campaign, when he took time to find the right rhythm, also due to the increased responsibilities caused by the injuries to Luuk de Jong and to

Karlsson, still at Hammarby, believes the best is yet to come and that his qualities are only now being refined. “In Sweden, he always showed us his qualities, especially his power. He can be very fast with the ball and has an easy shot from any area. In the air, that is where his strength lies. I have great expectations for what he will do in Portugal, because I always knew he would be an extraordinary player,” Karlsson told newspaper O JOGO in an interview, trying to decode Deniz Gul, who is in his second season at FC Porto and is close to being rewarded with the national title. “I can already see that he has taken big steps since he arrived, and it is obvious that he is still hungry for more...,” argued the Hammarby midfielder, believing that the demands that arose ended up strengthening Gul’s mind.

“We can continue to expect him to grow and to emerge more and more as an important piece. He is taking on greater responsibility within the team, and that will do him good. We are going to see a more decisive Gul at FC Porto,” predicts his friend Karlsson, assuring that the lack of goals does not affect him significantly. At the Dragão, with 41 matches this season and the World Cup on the horizon, Gul has shown the ability to overcome emotional difficulties. “He is prepared for difficulties, for less good moments, and he will know how to deal with all that in the best possible way. Growing and further convincing those who believed in him,” he concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.