Cemil Usta

Cemil Usta — Biography

Cemil Usta was born on 10 April 1951 in Trabzon. He played as a left-back and was known by the nicknames Dozer and Takoz for his sturdy presence. He began in 1967 at Trabzon Gençlerbirliği, moved three years later to Trabzonspor, then in the second tier, and spent his whole professional career there. When the club reached the Süper Lig in 1973-74 he was made captain, a role he held for many years.

As captain he was part of Trabzonspor's first two league titles, and the team also won the Turkish Cup in 1977 and 1978. In the 1976-77 European Champion Clubs' Cup he scored a penalty in the 62nd minute of the first leg against Liverpool, giving his side a 1-0 win. He earned two caps for Turkey in 1976, the first in a 2-2 friendly with Bulgaria on 22 September 1976.

Before the 1978-79 season the club put him on the transfer list, and at 27 he announced he was quitting; he turned down an offer from Rizespor, saying that as Trabzonspor's captain he would not play elsewhere. He said farewell in a testimonial between Trabzonspor and Orduspor on 14 August 1983, then worked in the club's youth setup and on its scouting committee. He died of a heart attack in Trabzon on 15 March 2003, aged 52. In 2008 the club named its oldest training pitch after him, a memorial forest was planted for him at the Zigana Pass, and the 2019-20 Süper Lig season was named the Cemil Usta season.