Country: Turkey Caps (Goals): 51 (18) DOB: 23/11/1979 Club: Villarreal, Spain Position: Forward/Attacking Midfielder Shirt number: 8 The Little One If Nihat Kahveci can emulate his great club form with Villarreal on the national team level then Turkish fans will be in for a great surprise this summer. The diminutive player has been nothing short of spectacular for the Yellow Submarines this term, scoring a total of 23 goals and helping the team finish as runners-up in the Primera Liga. International Career Nihat, who like most Turkish players carries his first name on his shirt (Nihat) rather than his family name, has played for the national team since 2000, scoring 18 goals in over fifty appearances. The 28-year-old player was part of the Turkish squad that won third place at the 2002 World Cup finals and the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. He combined with fellow Tuncay in the frontline of the Turkish side in the EURO 2008 qualifiers, scoring three goals each. Club Career Nihat began his professional career with local side Besiktas in 1998. He played with the Istanbul-based club for four seasons. His good form caught the eyes of Spanish outfit Real Sociedad who signed him in January 2002 and played a pivotal role in the team's securing of the second spot in the 2002-2003 season of La Liga. In the summer of 2006 Nihat agreed to join Villarreal CF for five years on a Bosman transfer. Nihat scored a total of 23 goals in all competitions for Villarreal this season. Qualities Nihat is an ambitious forward who causes havoc for opposition defenders. He is very active and makes good use of his speed. Excellent footwork and a vicious right-foot makes him one of the hottest strikers in La Liga.
