# İsmail Yüksek

İsmail Yüksek (born 26 January 1999) is a Turkish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Süper Lig side Fenerbahçe and the Turkey national team.

## Club career
### Youth and Gölcükspor

Yüksek began his youth career with hometown club Bursaspor and also played in youth level with Bursa Merinosspor, Yeşil Bursa, Yıldırım Belediyespor and Bursa Yıldırımspor. He started his professional career with Gölcükspor and played two successful season with them.

### Fenerbahçe

Yüksek signed five-year contract with Fenerbahçe on 2 May 2020.

#### Loans

On 5 October 2020, Yüksek joined Balıkesirspor on loan.
He returned to Fenerbahçe on 12 January 2021. Yüksek made his professional debut with Fenerbahçe in a 3–1 Süper Lig win over MKE Ankaragücü on 18 January 2021.
On 1 February 2021, he joined Adana Demirspor on loan in the TFF First League for the second half of the 2020–21 season.
He went on loan to Bursaspor for the 2021–22 season.

#### 2022–23 season

After return to Fenerbahçe, Yüksek made a very strong start to the 2022–23 season with coach Jorge Jesus, made good use of his first 11 chances and called to the national team. On 6 October, he was selected man of the match by supporters votes for his performance in the 2022–23 UEFA Europa League Group B third week AEK Larnaca match.
On 20 January 2023, Fenerbahçe announced to sign new contract with him until May 2027.

#### 2023–24 season

In his second season as a starter in the team, he made his top performance with new coach and team's local legend İsmail Kartal, he consolidate his place with Fenerbahçe and international team. He changed his shirt number from 80 to 5.

## International career

Without any youth international experience, Yüksek made his international debut against Luxembourg on 22 September 2022, coming on as an 81st minute substitute and he scored his first goal six minutes later. He wasn't selected to the Turkey youth national teams and directly played for senior level.
On 12 October 2023, he has become the first player to record 15+ duels and 10+ possessions won in a single Euro 2024 qualifier game, winning 16 duels and recovering 12 possessions against Croatia.

## Style of play

Yüksek is a talented, tenacious, and physically strong, all-round box-to-box midfielder, who is capable of defending well, due to his vision, technique, aggressive tackling, athletic attributes, stamina, and his powerful and accurate shot from distance with his right foot. A versatile, powerful, and hard-working player, he is capable of playing center and defensive midfield position, and adapting himself to several different formations, but usually operated in the centre of the pitch.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of matches played 9 February 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | Cup | Cup | Continental | Continental | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Gölcükspor | 2018–19 | TFF Third League | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 1 |
| Gölcükspor | 2019–20 | TFF Third League | 27 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 8 |
| Gölcükspor | Total | Total | 49 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 9 |
| Fenerbahçe | 2020–21 | Süper Lig | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| Fenerbahçe | 2022–23 | Süper Lig | 19 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 32 | 1 |
| Fenerbahçe | 2023–24 | Süper Lig | 30 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 47 | 1 |
| Fenerbahçe | 2024–25 | Süper Lig | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Fenerbahçe | Total | Total | 63 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 32 | 2 | 103 | 2 |
| Balıkesirspor (loan) | 2020–21 | TFF First League | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 1 |
| Adana Demirspor (loan) | 2020–21 | TFF First League | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 0 |
| Bursaspor (loan) | 2021–22 | TFF First League | 29 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 3 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 159 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 32 | 2 | 201 | 15 |
* ↑ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, seven appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League
* ↑ Appearances in UEFA Conference League
* ↑ Three appearances in UEFA Champions League, six appearances in UEFA Europa League

### International

    As of match played 19 November 2024
Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Turkey | 2022 | 4 | 1 |
| Turkey | 2023 | 8 | 0 |
| Turkey | 2024 | 9 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 21 | 1 |
* ↑ Three appearances in UEFA Euro 2024
    Scores and results show Turkey's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Yüksek goal.
International goals by date, venue, opponent, score, result and competition :
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 22 September 2022 | Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey | Luxembourg | 3–3 | 3–3 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League C |

## Honours

Adana Demirspor
* TFF 1. Lig: 2020–21
Fenerbahçe
* Turkish Cup: 2022–23