İsmail Yüksek is a Turkish professional football player who began his senior career at Gölcükspor. After transferring to Fenerbahçe in 2020, he was loaned to Balıkesirspor, Adana Demirspor, and Bursaspor to support his development through regular playing time.
Youth Career
Yüksek started playing football in 2011 in the youth academy of Bursaspor. During the early stages of his career, he played at the amateur level for several local clubs:
- Bursaspor (2011)
- Bursa Merinosspor A.Ş. (2012–2015)
- Yeşil Bursa A.Ş. (2015–2016)
- Yıldırım Belediyesi Jimnastikspor (2016–2017)
- 1923 Mustafakemalpaşa Spor Kulübü (2017–2018)
He signed his first professional contract with Gölcükspor in 2018.
Professional Career
The following table outlines the clubs Yüksek has played for professionally, along with match and goal statistics:
- Gölcükspor (2018–2020): 49 appearances, 9 goals
- Balıkesirspor (2020–2021, loan): 11 appearances
- Adana Demirspor (2021, loan): 12 appearances
- Bursaspor (2021–2022, loan): 24 appearances, 4 goals
- Fenerbahçe A.Ş. (2020–present): 64 Süper Lig appearances (as of 2025)
Fenerbahçe paid €65,000 transfer fee to Gölcükspor and agreed to a 10% sell-on clause. Yüksek’s contract was extended on January 20, 2023, until 2027, and later renewed in 2025 until June 30, 2028.
International Career
Yüksek has represented the Türkiye national team in several competitions. Between 2023 and 2025, he featured in the UEFA Nations League and the UEFA Euro 2024 qualification and final stages. He also appeared in friendly matches against countries including Germany, Japan, Scotland, and Austria.
He has played in over 20 matches for the Turkish senior national team.
Playing Style and Position
Primarily a defensive midfielder, Yüksek is also capable of playing as a central or attacking midfielder when required. His role mainly involves defensive duties such as intercepting passes, breaking up opposition attacks, and regaining possession.
Yüksek contributes significantly to team defense through his tactical awareness and physical endurance.
Goals and Performance Statistics
- TFF 3rd League: 49 matches – 9 goals
- TFF 1st League: 47 matches – 4 goals
- Süper Lig: 64 matches – 0 goals
- U17 Academy League: 19 matches – 5 goals
- Turkish Cup: 11 matches – 0 goals
- European Competitions (UCL, UEL): 9 matches
- UEFA Champions League Qualifiers: 3 matches – 269 minutes
- UEFA Europa League: 6 matches – 349 minutes
Notable Performances
During the 2019–2020 season, he scored several goals, both with his feet and head, while playing for Gölcükspor. In the 2022–2023 pre-season training camp with Fenerbahçe, he was selected by coach Jorge Jesus to start in European Cup matches.
