Zeki Celik #2

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The youngest of nine brothers, he was raised in Bursa but has spent most of his professional career in Ligue 1 (Lille) and the Serie A (Roma). He is a self-confessed football obsessive who once admitted that he spent 45 consecutive days during the 2020 lockdown playing football video games to maintain his tactical sharpness. "I sleep thinking about football and I wake up thinking about football," he has said. One of the most consistent and reliable players in the team and he is set to be a certain starter in North America. Having arrived at Roma when José Mourinho was the manager, Celik told Il Romanista what he made of the Portuguese: "Seen from the outside he gives the impression of being a character, and … basically he is. Seen from the inside he is someone who treats players very well and who knows how to make them love him."

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