Young Turkish defender Yasin Ozcan has revealed the emotional moment he learned of his transfer to Aston Villa, admitting he almost cried upon hearing the news.
The 18-year-old, who has impressed with consistent performances for Kasimpasa in the Turkish Super Lig, is set to join the Premier League club this summer.
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Ozcan, a product of Kasimpasa’s academy, has made 83 senior appearances, contributing ten goal involvements, drawing the attention of Aston Villa’s scouting network.
The deal, reportedly worth around £7 million, was finalised in the January transfer window, with Ozcan visiting Villa’s Bodymoor Heath training ground before returning to Turkey to complete the season.
“I was dreaming of being transferred to the English Premier League and I believed in it,” Ozcan told beIN Sports Turkiye.
“My manager told me that I would be transferred to Aston Villa, the agreement between the two clubs was completed and that the meetings were done. When I first heard, I was incredibly happy, I almost cried. My mother cried a little. My family was with me, too. When it happened, it felt like it had to be a joke.”
The young defender acknowledged the challenges of moving abroad, particularly for his family.
“It will be difficult for my family, too. They will be going abroad for the first time. They know that they might have some problems with food, a little bit with the language, so there is some anxiety but it can be solved,” he said.
Ozcan is already taking steps to prepare for the demands of English football, focusing on both physical and mental development.
“Physically, I work every day. I go in an hour before training, I work again after training for an hour. I read books for my mental development and I am taking English language training with a private teacher,” he explained.
During his visit to Birmingham, Ozcan met with Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, who emphasised the importance of learning English quickly.
“I met Unai,” Ozcan said. “The first thing he said was to learn the language well, then he said to work hard now because, when you come here, we want to see you ready.”
Ozcan is confident that Emery’s guidance will be crucial to his development. “I think he can have a great impact on me because he has produced great footballers – Jhon Duran as an example.
He played in Emery’s system and went for a very high transfer fee. Emery is a very good coach and I am sure he’ll have a very good effect on me.”
Looking ahead, Ozcan’s ambitions are clear. “First of all I want to play for Aston Villa. I want to win cups there and then my goal is the national team – I want to represent my country in the best way – but for now my future is completely with Aston Villa.”
I wrote about Ozcan in Next Generation 2023: 60 of the best young talents in world football.
