Berkant Göktan

Berkant Göktan — Biography

Berkant Göktan was born on 12 December 1980 in Munich. He came up through Bayern Munich's youth system and by the late 1990s was seen as one of German football's most promising talents, getting his professional league chance at 17 and appearing in a UEFA Champions League match against Manchester United in September 1998. He was in the squad when Bayern won the Bundesliga title that season, and went on loan spells at Borussia Mönchengladbach and Arminia Bielefeld.

He transferred to Galatasaray in 2001, won the Süper Lig title with the club that same season, and scored his first Galatasaray goal from a penalty in December 2001. He moved to Beşiktaş for the 2004-05 season, then to 1. FC Kaiserslautern in Germany in 2005, where his contract was terminated not long after he scored an equalising goal.

In 2006 he joined TSV 1860 Munich, where he was promoted to the first team and became the club's top scorer in two consecutive seasons, being voted the fans' player of the season. In October 2008 his contract was terminated after he tested positive for cocaine; around that time he developed an interest in Buddhism, and in a 2019 interview he said he had struggled with alcohol and substance dependence. In 2010 he signed with Thai club Muangthong United but left without playing a match because of fitness problems. He ended his playing career after a brief spell with SV Heimstetten in 2013. He was also capped by Turkey at under-21 level.