Samed Yeşil

Early career

Yeşil was born in Düsseldorf, but grew up in Krefeld. He started playing football in local club CFR Links, aged just six and then he played for BV 04 Düsseldorf. Aged eleven he was offered trial at Bayer 04 Leverkusen, which he accepted. In 2010, he reached the final of German Junior championship, which his team lost 1–0 to Eintracht Frankfurt. Next season he scored 22 goals in 24 matches for B-Junioren (U17/U16) and was moved one level up. Yeşil scored 57 goals in 71 matches in the Bayer Leverkusen youth teams between 2010 and 2012. Yeşil made five appearances for the Leverkusen first team in his breakthrough year of 2012–13.

Liverpool

Liverpool signed Yeşil for a price believed to be £1 million on 30 August 2012 after attracting the attention of manager Brendan Rodgers, who moved quickly to secure the 18-year-old's signature. Yeşil's first game for Liverpool was in an Under-21 match against Chelsea, with the Reds winning 4–1. He shortly after got his first call-up to the senior squad after that, remaining an unused substitute in a 5–3 UEFA Europa League group stage win away to BSC Young Boys of Switzerland on 20 September. Six days later, Yesil made his senior debut in the Football League Cup third-round game against West Bromwich Albion, starting in a 2–1 win at The Hawthorns. He also appeared in the next round against Swansea City, in which Liverpool succumbed to a 3–1 home defeat. On 7 December 2012, after coming back from injury, Yeşil…

Yeşil is Turkish-German. He has played for the German U-19 team. He is eligible to play for both the German and Turkish national teams at senior level. Until now, he has not decided for which national team he is going to play for. According to Turkish media, his former teammate Nuri Şahin who is also Turkish-German and a Turkish international, tried to convince him to choose the Turkish national team. Turkish national team head coach Fatih Terim wanted him to play for Turkey.

As of end of 2017–18 season

Germany U17

UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship: Runners-up (2011) FIFA U-17 World Cup: third place (2011) Individual

UEFA European Under-17 Championship top scorer: 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup Silver Shoe: 2011