Priceless claim made on Blackburn Rovers hero Tugay - £1.3m signing was 'one of a kind' | OneFootball

Tugay showcased unbelievable talent when he took to the field for Blackburn Rovers

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Blackburn Rovers' recent history has been extremely chequered, but there are still so many players regarded as icons by the Ewood Park faithful.

Just 30 years ago, the East Lancashire side became one of a handful of sides to have won the Premier League under Sir Kenny Dalglish, with the likes of Tim Sherwood, Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton becoming heroes for those of a certain generation.

However, those names aren't exactly the first who always spring to mind when asking Rovers supporters or those on the outside to name an iconic figure or favourite player associated with the club.

The likes of Brad Friedel, Morten Gamst Pedersen and Benni McCarthy are amongst those dubbed 'prime Barclaysmen' in a recent social media phenomenon, as well as midfielder, Tugay Kerimoglu.

The deep-lying playmaker developed a reputation for being one of the most technically-gifted players in the Premier League, as showcased in his vision which led to a plethora of stunning goals and assists during an eight-year period at Ewood Park under a handful of managers.

With that being said, Football League World asked our resident Blackburn Rovers fan pundit, Simon Middlehurst, what he believes Tugay's worth would be in the current landscape of the transfer market.

'Priceless' Tugay, Blackburn Rovers claim made amid modern-day transfer comparison

After previously excelling with Galatasaray, Tugay endured a short spell at Rangers before moving to Ewood Park for what turned out to be a bargain £1.3m under ex-Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness in the summer of 2001.

Despite the club winning the EFL Cup against Manchester United in his first season, Tugay missed the final due to suspension, before eventually asserting himself as a club legend across an eight-year stint.

The Trabzon-born man was named Blackburn's Player of the Year for the 2003/04 season in which he scored once and posted seven assists, before scoring the most notable of his 12 goals across 294 appearances with an exquisite volley against Fulham in 2005.

For all his brilliance, it was revealed by Tugay's former teammate, Matt Jensen, that the Türkiye international would smoke up to 20 cigarettes per day, which in some instances, included the half-time interval.

Yet, given the amount of pleasure he gave Rovers supporters, Middlehurst found it extremely tough to nail down how much Tugay would be worth in the current footballing climate, with his aforementioned fee worth just £2.84m in line with current inflation.

"I think it depends on how you look at it," our fan pundit claimed.

"If he stopped smoking 20 cigarettes a day and wasn't having a cheeky one at half-time, then he'd probably be worth a lot more.

"Tugay was one of a kind," Middlehurst stated. "You just couldn't put a price on someone like that. What he did for Blackburn, how well he played, the impact he had on the side.

"For someone that good who didn't need to run, his passing ability was incredible. He only ever scored 'worldie' goals. Someone like that, he was just one of a kind.

"You just couldn't put a price on that," he reiterated.

"The other side was, like I said, he did enjoy his cigarettes and still managed to play 90 minutes in the Premier League. What a player."

Blackburn Rovers supporters will hope their club can hit similar heights again

Tugay was one of several key performers during an era in which Rovers finished inside the top seven of the Premier League on three occasions, as well as becoming regulars in the UEFA Cup, although no real success was enjoyed on that front under Souness and Mark Hughes.

Supporters, unsurprisingly, are longing for the days when the Lancashire side can return to their former glories. However, that seems a long way away under the controversial ownership of The Venky's.

Blackburn are yet to finish inside the Championship top-six ever since being relegated back to the EFL in 2012, as well as spending a season in League One under Tony Mowbray in 2017/18.

Valerien Ismael is currently in the thick of his first full season in charge, yet after narrowly missing out on a play-off place last term, the Blues have started the 2025/26 season in extremely inconsistent fashion.