Turkey to get a taste of Topal

Young Mehmet Topal told uefa.com he is gunning to "make it into the finals squad" after receiving a first call-up for Turkey's friendly against Sweden in Istanbul tonight.

Late arrival
Handed a chance to impress in the Galatasaray AS first team because of a rare pelvic condition which has afflicted Swedish international Tobias Linderoth, the 21-year-old defensive midfielder has been a big hit. So much so, that he could earn a place at UEFA EURO 2008™. "Being called up now is a big advantage for me as I could make it into the finals squad," he said.

Childhood dream
Signed from second division Dardanelspor AS in 2006 for €1m, Topal took a season to get used to the pace of the Turkish Süper Lig but never lost sight of his ambition to play at the highest level. "After I moved to Galatasaray, I set my sights on the national side," he said. "Actually, it was a childhood dream for me. Now my dream has come true and I want to make a new start in my career."

Canny reckoning
Luck has played its part in bringing Topal to Turkey coach Fatih Terim's attention. Conceding that his first campaign at Galatasaray was "neither too good nor too bad", he had been tempted to push for a loan move this season to get more playing time before deciding "that the season was like a marathon and that I would get a chance to impress at some time".

Linderoth helpful
As it was, Linderoth was ruled out in October, prompting German coach Karl-Heinz Feldkamp to risk the youngster. It was a successful experiment, though Topal is grateful for the help the Swede gave him, saying: "He helped me a lot, told me about the areas I should improve and how to do so. Sadly, I got my chance through his injury but I want him to recover in the shortest time possible."

Being watched
Capable of playing as a central defender or on the right side of midfield, Topal is talented with both feet, calm under pressure and possesses a fierce shot from distance – all skills which helped recommend him to Terim. He said: "I expected my call-up as I was playing well for Galatasaray. We are top of the league and also competing in the UEFA Cup and Turkish Cup. I knew Terim was watching me."

Finals ambition
The whole of Turkey will be watching Topal against Sweden and he hopes he will not disappoint as UEFA EURO 2008™ approaches. "If I can stay fit and maintain my form I am hoping to be in the final squad," he said. "[Group A rivals] the Czech Republic, Portugal and Switzerland are good teams but Turkey are better. We want to do a good job and I can't see anything stopping us."