7 England internationals who played in Turkey as Ollie Watkins links emerge | OneFootball

Following the news that Ollie Watkins has reportedly agreed terms on a potential move to Turkey, we are taking a look at some of the previous England internationals to ply their trade in the country.

The current Aston Villa striker has reportedly agreed to join Fenerbahce but how have other high-profile England players fared?

The Turkish Super Lig is a hotbed for old Barclays-era Premier League cult heroes and one-time next big things. Which inspired us to make this list…

Les Ferdinand

The first British player to ever play in Turkey, Ferdinand made the brave decision to do so at the age of 21. It was a time when English players did not really play abroad.

He went there to gain some experience as his current manager Jim Smith was friends with Besiktas boss Gordon Milne and so Ferdinand made a loan move for the 1988-89 season.

Whilst over there, the future Premier League great had a fantastic scoring record of 14 in 24 Super Lig games as Besiktas finished second in the league to Fenerbahce.

That earned him his chance at QPR and the rest is history.

Dele Alli

One of the most high-profile moves to Turkey was former England golden boy Dele Alli.

Six months into his career at Everton, Dele was loaned to Besiktas for the 2022-23 season, but problems that had followed him throughout his career were present in Turkey as well.

Coach Senol Gunes said he was “below expectations in terms of efficiency” and he did not play past February.

His loan was eventually cancelled as he returned to Merseyside with a hip injury.

Nathan Redmond

After six years at Southampton and with his contract running out, Redmond sought a fresh challenge by moving to Turkey.

While Dele Alli helped convince Redmond to move, a chance encounter with David Beckham sealed the deal.

Whilst in the airport, the former Birmingham and Southampton winger ran into Beckham and asked him about a potential move abroad.

With Becks saying playing abroad gave him some of his best memories in football, Redmond took the plunge and joined Besiktas.

But he stayed for just one season, scoring five goals in 25 league games before he joined Vincent Kompany’s Burnley.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

With his Liverpool career coming to a close, Oxlade-Chamberlain was in search of his next club and opted for Besiktas.

Unfortunately his time in Turkey was similar to his time in England as injuries soon disrupted his rhythm.

He suffered a thigh muscle tear in December, ruling him out for four months and played just 18 league games the following season.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst did not pick him until December of the 2024-25 season and ahead of the following campaign, he had his contract terminated, joining Celtic as a free agent.

Scott Carson

Trips to Turkey are not just for outfield players as Carson also spent time over there.

Having briefly lost his spot in the West Brom team, Carson said he wanted a “new challenge” and was wooed by Bursaspor, who would also give him European football in the Europa League.

Carson played there for two seasons, alongside fellow England international Anton Ferdinand, and helped the team to fourth in the table, qualifying for the Europa League in the process.

Carson then headed back to England to join Wigan in the Championship.

Danny Drinkwater

With Drinkwater’s career at the top all but over, he briefly spent a loan spell at Kasimpasa.

With Chelsea paying a significant whack of his wage, he moved to the Turkish team in the hope of more regular football but made just 11 league appearances before heading back to West London.

Tammy Abraham

Former England striker Abraham moved to Besiktas, initially on loan for the 2025-26 season.

He scored a decent amount of goals with seven in 18 league matches as well as a hat-trick in the Europa League before the Turkish side signed him permanently for €13m.

The day after, he was sold to Aston Villa for around £18m.