Behind most prodigies is a slightly unhinged parent, and let’s be honest, it’s usually the dad. Arda Guler’s father was obsessed with Fenerbahce and as soon as his son could walk he was kicking balloons in the living room, positioned strategically on his left side because his dad wanted a left-footer.
Arda became a Fenerbahce fan too, and when he first travelled from his home in Ankara to visit the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul, he climbed the steps to see the green grass below and felt mesmerised. His mum had driven him and his sister for five hours to be there and slept in the car overnight to be at the front of the queue for tickets.
