Darius Vassell might have thought he was stepping out of the limelight when he left Manchester City this summer, but he witnessed near hysteria as he contemplates a move to Turkey.
The former England international was on the periphery of
City’s squad last season and with a further influx of big money moves this summer, he was granted a free transfer.
The 29-year-old Brummie has always enjoyed a high profile at
Aston Villa and City, but his quiet demeanour ensured he was never granted ‘pop star’ status. However, as Vassell discovered last week, he is most definitely front page news in Ankaragucu.
Over 3,000 supporters greeted his arrival at Ankara airport as he undertook contract talks, and he was mobbed in surreal scenes.
For a side that finished 13th in the Turkish League last season, the arrival of
Vassell is seen as a major coup. He may have been expecting a quiet entrance but it was anything but clandestine as the former Villa striker was met with a cacophony of flares and banners proclaiming his pending arrival.
Whilst Vassell might have been left scratching his head after the scenes that greeted his entrance, Ankaragucu chairman Cengiz Topel Yildirim left him in no doubt as to how highly regarded he is in this region of Turkey.
He said: "We aim to secure a big signing as this year is our centenary. He will visit the city and our installations. Then he will make a decision. I hope we can include him in our squad. I hope we can persuade him to stay."
Chaos was inevitable after Yildirim stoked up Vassell’s arrival and 50 buses and 250 cars followed his journey from airport to hotel in a scene more befitting the arrival of a Hollywood movie star.
Vassell has never experienced scenes like this whilst walking around the Bull Ring in Birmingham or popping into the G-Mex in Manchester, so what he made of it is still open to conjecture.
However, it must have turned his head and after a free transfer from Manchester City, the last thing he would have expected was a reception like that.
The prospect of such adulation would appeal to any player but the flip side is that expectations at a side that finished 13th last term could well be unrealistic.
It looks as though supporters have already made up their minds, and the man who scored a crucial goal for England against Turkey in the Euro 2004 qualifier at the Stadium of Light saw banners proclaiming ‘Hands in the air, Vassell is here!’ whilst another read ‘You are more than a player, we are more than a club – welcome to Ankaragucu’.
For a shy Brummie it will have been an enlightening experience, but if Vassell can sparkle in Turkey then there is no telling just how feted he will become.
Powered by: GiveMeFootball.com, the
latest football news
