Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella is impressed by Juventus talent Kenan Yildiz, especially because of his physical development and ‘balanced’ mentality.
Yildiz played 90 minutes for Turkey in a friendly against Italy at the Stadio Dall’Ara in Bologna on Tuesday night.
It’s been an unforgettable season for the Turkey international who made his senior debut at a club level and with his national team.
“He is a complete and modern footballer. Physically, I’ve noticed an improvement compared to September, when I gave him his debut,” Montella said at a press conference last night.
“He wasn’t playing consistently at Juventus at that time. Now, he is even stronger physically, and he has room for improvement because he’s 18.
“He has a bright future ahead because he has an adequate mentality and hasn’t lost balance. It’s not easy at his age to deal with this sudden popularity.”
Yildiz has recently turned 19 and finished the 2023-24 campaign with Juventus with four goals and one assist in 32 appearances across all competitions.
The Turkish talent is expected to sign a contract extension with the Bianconeri in the coming weeks. His current deal at the Allianz Stadium runs out in June 2027.
Yildiz has made six appearances with Turkey national team and scored his first goal on his debut as a starter in a 3-2 win over Germany in November.
Turkey will meet Georgia, Portugal and Czech Republic in their group stage at Euro 2024.