Burak Yilmaz is a Turkish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Lille and the Turkish national team.
Yilmaz is one of 9 players who played football of Big Three clubs of Turkey and one of only 2 players who played Big Three and Trabzonspor (also referred as "Big Four"), along with Sergen Yalcin. Yilmaz is two times Super Lig top scorer in 2011–12 with 33 and 2012–13 seasons with 24 goals.
Born in Antalya, Turkey, son of former Antalyaspor goalkeeper Fikret Yilmaz, Burak Yilmaz started to play football at Antalyaspor where he sign his first professional contract in July 2002 and made his professional debut in 2002–03 season of TFF First League. Following 4 four seasons at Antalyaspor, Yilmaz joined Besiktas J.K. in 2006–07 season, where he played one and a half season and was primarily depolyed as a winger. Yilmaz had a short spell in Manisaspor before he joined Fenerbahce S.K. in 2008–09 Super Lig season. Loaned out Eskisehirspor in 2009–10 season, Yilmaz was transferred Trabzonspor in winter transfer window of 2009–10 season where he will make his major career break through under management of Senol Gunes and became Super Lig top scorer with 33 goals in 2011–12 season.
Following 3 seasons spent in Trabzonspor where he won one Turkish Cup and Turkish Super Cup, Yilmaz joined Galatasaray S.K., where he will stay four seasons, winning his two Super Lig titles in 2012–13 and 2014–15 seasons, as well as being Super Lig top scorer for second time in his career in 2012–13 season. In 2016, Yilmaz joined Chinese Super League club Beijing Guoan for two seasons where he scored 28 goals in total. Yilmaz then returned Trabzonspor for his second spell which lasted two seasons. In 2018–19 season Yilmaz returned Besiktas for another second spell. He scored 11 and 13 goals respectively in two seasons in Besiktas.
Represented Turkey in different youth age groups between 2001 and 2006, Burak Yilmaz made his senior debut in a friendly game aganst Azerbaijan in 2006. Holding 56 caps as of 2020, scoring 24 goals, Yilmaz ranks second place of all time top scorers of Turkey after Hakan Sukur.
On 12 April 2006, Yılmaz made his international debut for Turkey under coach Fatih Terim in a 1–1 away draw with Azerbaijan in a friendly match. On 3 June 2011, he scored his first goal in a 1–1 away draw with Belgium during the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying. Later on, he was part of Turkey squad in the UEFA Euro 2016.
On 24 March 2021, he scored his first international hat-trick in a 4–2 win over the Netherlands in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification. |
