Zeki Çelik

Born in Bursa, Turkey, of Kurdish descent, Zeki Çelik built his career the hard way — through the lower divisions of Turkish football before catching Lille's eye and earning a move to Ligue 1. He won the French title with Lille in their remarkable 2020-21 season, one of European football's great underdog stories, beating PSG to the championship on the final day.

Çelik joined Roma in 2022 and has been a reliable presence at right-back. He is energetic, tenacious, and difficult to beat one-on-one. His defensive instincts are sharp, and he has the stamina to work tirelessly for 90 minutes. He can also play as a centre-back in a three-man defence, giving the coach tactical flexibility.

With nearly 60 caps for Turkey, including appearances at Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, Çelik is an experienced international whose reliability is something any squad values.