Hakan Sukur will be Turkey's major threat when they face the Three Lions in two
Hakan Sukur will be Turkey's major threat when they face the Three Lions in two huge Euro Qualifiers next year...from now on he'll be plying his trade in this country with Blackburn, who have completed the signing of the former Inter and Parma striker. The 31-year-old has put pen to paper on a deal which takes him to Ewood Park until the end of the season.
Sukur has been released from his contract at Italian club Parma and arrives in Lancashire as a free agent. Hence, there is no fee involved and he is free to play when fit although the club have confirmed he is currently carrying an injury.
"I am delighted Hakan is joining us," said Rovers manager Graeme Souness. "I know what he is capable of, having worked with him before.
"He is a natural athlete and will provide us with something different. He is carrying a slight injury at the moment but that has been taken into account and we are confident he will strengthen our squad."
Sukur, who has a groin injury, worked with Souness at Turkish club Galatasaray. Rovers coaches Phil Boersma and Dean Saunders were also there at the time, along with players Tugay and Brad Friedel.
The Sukur Files
1971: Born September 1 in Sakarya, Turkey.
1990: Joins Bursaspor after impressing since the age of 16 for hometown club Sakaryaspor.
1992: March - Makes his international debut for Turkey. Signs for Istanbul club Galatasaray, in his first spell he scores 35 goals as Gala win back-to-back league titles plus the Turkish Cup and Turkish Super Cup.
1995: July - Signs for Italian side Torino. However, he fails to adapt to Serie A, playing just five games and scoring once.
October: Returns to Turkey to play for Galatasaray.
1996: May - Ends first season back with 16 goals and picks up another cup winners` and Super Cup winners` medal.
Member of the Turkey squad at the European Championships in England. They fail to distinguish themselves, crashinround group stage without scoring a goal.
1997: Scores 38 goals to finish second in the Golden Boot list for the 1996-97 season. Galatasaray win the League and Super Cup.
1998: Scores 32 goals in 34 games to finish as Europe's third-highest scorer and help Gala retain the title.
1999: Fires 19 goals on the way to Gala winning their third title in a row.
2000: Wins UEFA Cup with Galatasaray, who beat Arsenal in the final.
June - Helps Turkey to the quarter-finals of Euro 2000- their first-ever appearance in the knock-out stages of a major international tournament- with a brace in Turkey's final group game against co-hosts Belgium.
July - Signs for Inter Milan, but struggles to break into their ed first team and later joins Parma.
2002: March - Rerma after just three Serie A goals for the club.
June - Expected to be the star of Turkey's first World Cup appearance since 1954 but is a huge disappointment, scoring just once. Still manages to enter World Cup record books with fastest goal ever scored in finals history as he hits the target after just 11 seconds against South Korea in the third-place play-off.
September - Linked with a move to Rangers but nothing ultimately materialises.
November - Blackburn boss Graeme Souness reveals Sukur is to train with the Premiership club with a view to a move.
December 4 - Blackburn confirm free transfer signing of Sukur.
Meanwhile...
West Brom are giving a trial to Macedonia midfielder Artim Shakiri, whose corner-kick helped his country to a draw against England at St Mary's.
Baggies boss Gary Megson is taking a look at the 26-year-old.
Although he is contracted to CSKA Sofia, Shakiri might be attracted by a spell in the Premiership.