Jem Karacan
Encyclopedia
Jem Paul Karacan is an English-born Turkish footballer who plays for Reading
as a midfielder
. He has played internationally for the Turkish youth team
, and has captained the U-21 side.
, London
to a Turkish Cypriot father and an English
mother. Between the ages of seven and fourteen he played for the now defunct Wimbledon
and left after they relocated to Milton Keynes
. He had been offered a four-year contract at the club his father supported, Galatasaray
, but refused citing language difficulties, "I couldn't go out there at only 14, not speaking the language and so on." Karacan joined Reading's Youth Academy instead, having been spotted playing against the Royals while on trial at Manchester United
.
Karacan joined Bournemouth
on loan, initially for one month, on 18 October 2007. Karacan was put into the starting XI for Bournemouth on 20 October away to Millwall
, where he made his league debut in Bournemouth's 2–1 defeat. His loan was subsequently extended to 6 January 2008. Karacan signed a further loan deal in the 2007–08
season on 20 March 2008, this time to Football League One
side Millwall
, which was originally due to run until 19 April 2008, but was extended to the end of the 2007–08 season.
He scored against Aston Villa in a pre season match before the 2008–09 season, and scored his first professional goal for Reading in a Carling Cup
win over Luton Town on 26 August 2008. Towards the end of 2008, he began to start a few matches after impressing in the reserves and following injuries to James Harper and Marek Matejovsky
. He signed a new 2 and half year contract in October 2008, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2010–11 season. He scored his first league goal in Reading's 2–2 draw with Blackpool FC on 13 April 2009, in the Championship
.
Karacan scored his finest goal of his career for reading on 2 October 2010 with a brilliant 25 yard volley to earn his side a 1–1 draw away at Preston North End. On 20 August 2011, Karacan made his 100th appearance in all competitions for Reading against Barnsley in a 2-1 defeat.
at youth level. He is eligible with them through his father. He is also eligible for England. He made his debut for the Turkey U21s
as a substitute in a 2–1 away defeat to Armenia.
! rowspan=2|Club !! rowspan=2|Season
! colspan=2|League
! colspan=2|FA Cup
! colspan=2|League Cup
! colspan=2|FL Trophy
! colspan=2|Play-Offs
! colspan=2|Total
! colspan=2|Discipline>
!! 
>
| 2007–08
| 0 > 0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
> 0 0
| 15 > 1
1
0
1
1
0
0
0
> 4 0
| 27 > 0
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
> 3 0
| 40 > 3
3
0
2
0
0
0
3
> 6 1
| 5 > 0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
> 0 0
! 87 !! 4 !! 8 !! 0 !! 3 !! 1 !! 0 !! 0 !! 3 !! 0 !! 101 !! 5 !! 13 !! 1>
(loan)
| 2007–08
| 13 > 1
3
1
0
0
0
0
0
> 2 0
! 13 !! 1 !! 3 !! 1 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 16 !! 2 !! 2 !! 0>
(loan)
| 2007–08
| 7 > 0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
> 0 0
! 7 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 7 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0>
! 107 !! 5 !! 11 !! 1 !! 3 !! 1 !! 0 !! 0 !! 3 !! 0 !! 124 !! 7 !! 15 !! 1>
in Lee Green, before spending his senior years at the Riverston School of Eltham in London. His roommate on away trips is Joseph Mills
.
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
. He has played internationally for the Turkish youth team
Turkey national youth football team
- Turkey National Under-19 Squad :The Turkey national under-19 football team is the national youth football team of Turkey.-Current Squad:* Coach: Abdullah Ercan* Assistant Coach: Soner Tolungüç...
, and has captained the U-21 side.
Early life
Karacan was born in CatfordCatford
Catford is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-Architecture:...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to a Turkish Cypriot father and an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
mother. Between the ages of seven and fourteen he played for the now defunct Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
and left after they relocated to Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
. He had been offered a four-year contract at the club his father supported, Galatasaray
Galatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
, but refused citing language difficulties, "I couldn't go out there at only 14, not speaking the language and so on." Karacan joined Reading's Youth Academy instead, having been spotted playing against the Royals while on trial at Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
.
Club career
On 6 July 2007, he signed a two-year professional contract with Reading, and made his debut against Luton Town on the 26th of August in the League Cup, getting on the scoresheet.Karacan joined Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
on loan, initially for one month, on 18 October 2007. Karacan was put into the starting XI for Bournemouth on 20 October away to Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
, where he made his league debut in Bournemouth's 2–1 defeat. His loan was subsequently extended to 6 January 2008. Karacan signed a further loan deal in the 2007–08
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
season on 20 March 2008, this time to Football League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
, which was originally due to run until 19 April 2008, but was extended to the end of the 2007–08 season.
He scored against Aston Villa in a pre season match before the 2008–09 season, and scored his first professional goal for Reading in a Carling Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
win over Luton Town on 26 August 2008. Towards the end of 2008, he began to start a few matches after impressing in the reserves and following injuries to James Harper and Marek Matejovsky
Marek Matejovský
Marek Matějovský is a Czech footballer who currently plays for SpartaPrague in the Gambrinus liga and internationally for the Czech Republic...
. He signed a new 2 and half year contract in October 2008, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2010–11 season. He scored his first league goal in Reading's 2–2 draw with Blackpool FC on 13 April 2009, in the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
.
Karacan scored his finest goal of his career for reading on 2 October 2010 with a brilliant 25 yard volley to earn his side a 1–1 draw away at Preston North End. On 20 August 2011, Karacan made his 100th appearance in all competitions for Reading against Barnsley in a 2-1 defeat.
International career
Karacan has captained TurkeyTurkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
at youth level. He is eligible with them through his father. He is also eligible for England. He made his debut for the Turkey U21s
Turkey national under-21 football team
Turkey's national Under-21 football team , also known as Turkey Under-21s or Turkey U-21s, is the Under-21 years of age team of the Turkey national football team.-History:...
as a substitute in a 2–1 away defeat to Armenia.
Career statistics
! colspan=2|League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
! colspan=2|FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
! colspan=2|League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
! colspan=2|FL Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
! colspan=2|Play-Offs
Football League Play-Offs
The Football League play-offs are an annual series of football matches to determine some of the promotion places within the Football League. Essentially, each division of the league offers a certain number of automatic promotion places to the top two or three clubs. A further promotion place is...
! colspan=2|Total
! colspan=2|Discipline>
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
| 2007–08
| 0 >
> 0
| 15 >
> 4
| 27 >
> 3
2010–11 Reading F.C. season
The 2010-11 season was Reading's third season back in the Championship, since relegation from the Premier League in 2008. Having become Reading manager in January 2010, this was Brian McDermott's first full season in charge at the club.-Season review:...
| 40 >
> 6
2011–12 Reading F.C. season
The 2011-12 season will be Reading F.C.'s fourth consecutive season in the Championship since relegation from the Premier League in 2008...
| 5 >
> 0
! 87 !! 4 !! 8 !! 0 !! 3 !! 1 !! 0 !! 0 !! 3 !! 0 !! 101 !! 5 !! 13 !! 1>
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
(loan)
| 2007–08
| 13 >
> 2
! 13 !! 1 !! 3 !! 1 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 16 !! 2 !! 2 !! 0>
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
(loan)
| 2007–08
| 7 >
> 0
! 7 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 7 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0>
! 107 !! 5 !! 11 !! 1 !! 3 !! 1 !! 0 !! 0 !! 3 !! 0 !! 124 !! 7 !! 15 !! 1>
Personal life
Karacan received his primary education at Colfe's SchoolColfe's School
Colfe's is a co-educational independent day school in Horn Park in the London Borough of Greenwich. The school is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The official Visitor to the school is HRH Prince Michael of Kent.-History:...
in Lee Green, before spending his senior years at the Riverston School of Eltham in London. His roommate on away trips is Joseph Mills
Joseph Mills
Joseph Nathan Mills is an English footballer who plays for Reading. He is the younger brother of Leicester City defender Matthew Mills and can play at either left back or left midfield.-Southampton:...
.
External links
- Jem Karacan profile at readingfc.co.uk
- Profile at the Turkish Football Federation's Official Site