Ömer Ateş

Ömer Ateş — Biography

Ömer Ateş (born 14 August 1981 in Istanbul) is a Turkish former footballer.

He began his career in the Galatasaray youth system, where he was called up early to Turkey's youth national teams and seen as one of the most promising prospects of his generation. He signed professionally with Galatasaray in 2001 and joined the first team, but coach Mircea Lucescu judged him not yet ready and loaned him to Antalyaspor for the rest of the season; he played no matches there before returning to Galatasaray. In the 2001-02 winter window he moved to Elazığspor, made his debut on 9 March 2002 against Ankaraspor, and helped the club win promotion to the Süper Lig before transferring to Manisaspor. A season later he joined Kayserispor; when the club was renamed Kayseri Erciyesspor in 2003-04 he kept playing for it without a transfer, and in 2004-05 helped it win promotion to the Süper Lig again.

After a season and a half in the Süper Lig, he moved to Samsunspor in the 2006-07 winter window, then played a season apiece for Boluspor, Çaykur Rizespor and Kardemir Karabükspor. With Karabükspor he finished 2009-10 in first place and won promotion, but was released at season's end and returned to Boluspor. On 1 July 2011 he signed a one-year contract with Göztepe for 2011-12. Across Turkey's youth national teams, from under-15 to under-20 level, he was called up 69 times, made 67 appearances and scored 21 goals, finishing fourth at the 2001 Mediterranean Games with Turkey's Olympic team.