İrfan Can Kahveci

1. Early life and youth career

İrfan Can Kahveci was born on July 15, 1995, in Ayaş, Ankara, Turkey. He began his football journey at the young age of seven, joining the Gençlerbirliği Football School. After several years within the football school, İrfan Can impressed during selections and was admitted into the Gençlerbirliği youth team.

He signed his first professional contract with Gençlerbirliği during the tenure of Fuat Çapa. On April 27, 2012, Kahveci made his first appearance for the club, playing the final five minutes of a Spor Toto Cup match against Kayserispor. To gain further experience, he was loaned to Hacettepe, a satellite team of Gençlerbirliği, for the 2013-14 season. During his time at Hacettepe, Kahveci scored four goals in 34 matches, playing a key role in Hacettepe's promotion to the TFF Second League at the end of that season.

2. Club career

İrfan Can Kahveci's professional club career began at Gençlerbirliği, where he progressed from the youth setup to the senior team. He later moved to İstanbul Başakşehir, where he achieved a Süper Lig title and made a historic UEFA Champions League hat-trick. His career continued with a transfer to Fenerbahçe, where he remains a key player.

3. International career

İrfan Can Kahveci's international career with the Turkey national team began with his first call-up by manager Fatih Terim on August 31, 2016, for a friendly match against Russia and a subsequent World Cup 2018 qualifier against Croatia.

He made his debut for the national team on March 23, 2018, in a 1-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland. In June 2019, during his second international match, a friendly against Uzbekistan, Kahveci had an opportunity to score his first international goal but missed a penalty kick in the 90th minute. Despite the miss, Turkey secured a 2-0 win, courtesy of a brace from Zeki Çelik.

In May 2021, Kahveci was selected as part of Turkey's squad for UEFA Euro 2020. He scored his first international goal during the tournament on June 20, 2021, against Switzerland, which was also the team's first goal of the competition. However, Turkey ultimately lost the match 1-3 and finished last in their group. He also participated in UEFA Euro 2024, making one appearance.

4. Playing style

İrfan Can Kahveci is a versatile midfielder known for his technical prowess, vision, and ability to contribute both offensively and defensively. In his early years at Gençlerbirliği, he occasionally played as a left-back. During his loan period at Hacettepe and later in his senior career with Gençlerbirliği, Kahveci was deployed in various midfield positions, predominantly as a deep-lying midfielder and a wide midfielder on the right side. At this time, he was sometimes considered too small for a central midfield role.

Following his transfer to İstanbul Başakşehir in the 2016-17 season, manager Abdullah Avcı recognized his potential and transitioned him into a playmaker role. This position allowed Kahveci's exceptional vision, passing accuracy, technical skill, and strong understanding of the game to flourish. Since then, he has primarily been utilized as a central attacking midfielder for both his club and the national team. Kahveci has stated that playing in central midfield, particularly as a "number 8," is his preferred position.

His versatility has also enabled him to function effectively on the wing. During the majority of his career at Fenerbahçe, he often occupied a wide role within the team's 4-3-3 formation. His key attributes include excellent close control of the ball, speed, dribbling ability, effective crossing, and powerful shots from outside the box. These qualities led former Fenerbahçe manager İsmail Kartal to frequently deploy him in the wide attacking role.

5. Career statistics

6. Honours

İrfan Can Kahveci has achieved various team and individual honors throughout his career.