Sinan Bolat

Club career

Sinan started his professional career at the age of 17 with K.R.C. Genk in 2005, but only managed a handful of games in the league, including 3 starts. He transferred to Standard Liège on 29 December 2008, 6 months before his contract was due to expire with Genk He had previously been linked to both Fenerbahçe and Trabzonspor of Turkey.

Standard Liège

Bolat is reported to have moved to Standard Liège for a fee of just €150,000 in the January 2009 transfer window, on a 4.5-year contract.

He was Liège's preferred No.1 goalkeeper in the second half of the 2008–09 season due to out-of-favour Rorys Aragón. Bolat started the last seven games of the season and kept five clean sheets, letting in only 2 goals, one in a 3–1 win against Germinal Beerschot and another in a 4–1 win against KV Mechelen. Bolat started the UEFA Cup game against S.C. Braga on 26 February 2009 and managed to keep a clean sheet during the first half. However he was substituted at half time for the experienced Rorys Aragón, the game finished 1–1.

In the final game of the 2008–09 season, Liège needed to win their game away to Gent in order to force a play off against RSC Anderlecht for the Belgian League title, (if both points and number of matches won are tied then a two-legged play-off decides the ultimate winner). Liège were 1–0 up, up until the 92nd minute when a penalty was awarded against them. Bolat became the hero of the night as he pulled off a magnificent save from Bryan Ruiz, ensuring the play-off. Standard Liège went on to win the resulting play-off, winning 2–1 on aggregate with Bolat keeping another clean sheet in the process, and were crowned champions on 24 May 2009. In his first season, he managed to keep six clean sheets out of nine games and also saved a penalty. Winning the league automatically qualified Liège for the group stages of Champions League in the 2009–10 season. Manchester United and Arsenal were said to have made an offer for him in May 2009.

Prior to the start of the 2009–10 season, Bolat helped his side to a 2–0 win in the 2009 Belgian Supercup final against Genk, on 27 July 2009. In Liège's final Champions League group game against AZ Alkmaar on 9 December 2009, Bolat pushed upfield when a free kick was awarded in the 95th minute and he scored a headed goal, tying the game at 1–1. The draw clinched third place in the group for Liège and gave them a place in the Europa League at the expense of Alkmaar. This enabled Sinan to earn his place in history as the only goalkeeper ever to score a goal in open-play in the Champions League.

Porto

2013–2014 Season

Sinan Bolat joined Portuguese club F.C. Porto on 30 of July 2013 on a free transfer. It was later confirmed that Sinan Bolat had signed a 5-year contract.

Club Brugge

Bolat will be playing for the Belgian Club Brugge during the 2015–2016 season after Mathew Ryan left the team for Valencia.

International career

Sinan has played at youth level for Turkey, winning 4 caps at the U-19 level, and 3 at the U-21 level. He was called up by the senior national team for Turkey, by then coach Fatih Terim, for the 2010 World Cup qualification games in September 2009, but was an unused substitute.

He gained his first cap on 10 August 2011 in a friendly match against Estonia at Türk Telekom Arena which Turkey won 3-0.

Club

Honours