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With the widespread coverage of sports in the media these days, up-and-coming football players are often branded by journalists with catchy phrases and nicknames.
How often have you heard about ‘the next Harry Kewell’, ‘the next Mark Viduka’, ‘the teenage scoring sensation’, ‘the young wizard of Oz’, ‘the speed machine’ and even ‘the fuzzy red-headed angel’.
But how would you like to be the best young striker in the country, on the verge of breaking into big-time football, and all you get labelled is ‘troubled’ or ‘misguided’.
Well, troubled and misguided Australian football player Kerem Bulut got a second chance at a football life this week. Quite frankly, another chance that not too many in his position would have deserved.
Bulut and a few of his Berala mates were under investigation for gang-related activities including gang violence, theft, harassment, and assault. Bulut then breached his bail conditions for the aforementioned offences.
Bulut is also a very good footballer and goalscorer. A graduate of the NSW Institute of Sport, he was selected for the Australian Under 17s side and scored 4 goals in 5 appearances against top international opponents.
He was a sensation for the Sydney FC youth team scoring 13 goals and set to become a regular Sydney FC first team player at just 17.
Bulut turned down an offer from Sydney FC and decided to go overseas.
He won his first senior professional football contract at 18 years of age for Mlada Boleslav, currently top four in the Czech first division. He slotted right in as their main striker and Bulut made seven appearances for the Mlada first eleven, before he left to represent Australia at the Asian U19s Championships.
He then became more familiar to a host of Australian football fans and football scouts from around the world, after winning the Golden Boot Award for most goals at the 2010 AFC Under-19 Championship – 9 goals in 11 appearances, including scoring in the final against North Korea.
Bulut never made it back to the Czech Republic, he was arrested upon his return to Australia.
He was subsequently released on bail after surrendering his passport, agreeing not to hang out with the MBM and observing a night time curfew. His blossoming football career was put on hold.
To be brutally honest, a lot of long-suffering Australian football fans were prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt. They were willing to overlook a few of his “rough edges”, as long as he got to play for the Socceroos again one day. He has the potential to be that good.
Amazingly, in a surprise announcement at Burwood local court after an appeal by his lawyers, Magistrate Christopher Longley agreed to return Bulut’s passport and allow him to resume his overseas professional football career.
In another piece of good news for Bulut, the crown prosecution did not oppose the application and added that most of the charges against him would be withdrawn. Mr Boyden said his client would now likely only face one lesser charge.
In a letter of support to the Burwood court, FK Mlada Boleslav’s director of sports Ladislav Minar vouched for Bulut’s good character and football potential. He asked that Bulut be allowed to return to his team, for which he has not played since August 2010.
“Kerem is a young professional with undoubted talent representing one of the outstanding sporting talents in his chosen field in his age group in Australia,” Mr Minar said.
“He has the opportunity to further his career and with this will come economic rewards we believe will further distance him from those negative influences around him.”
The other piece of good news is that Bulut is now free to play for the Young Socceroos at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Colombia in July. Who could have envisaged a few weeks ago such a dramatic turnaround in Kerem’s footballing fortunes.
“Allowing Kerem to resume his career will present him the much-needed opportunity to separate himself from his current situation,” wrote John Boultbee, head of national youth teams and football development, who also attended Burwood Local Court on the FFA’s behalf.
“We are aware of the need for him to be in a stable, supportive situation, away from less positive influences.”
I hope Kerem realises just how fortunate he is.
I hope he shows the gratitude, discipline and maturity it takes to become a professional football player on the world stage, for his own good, for the benefit of his family, as a role model for his Muslim community and for the good of the future Socceroos.
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