Well, here we have it, Rıdvan Yılmaz. Born on 21 May 2001, this spritely 23-year-old defender hails from the exotic shores of Turkey. Before we continue, do spare a thought for his parents. Having to learn to dot those 'ı's in his name must have been a ball. Anyway, he mostly clocks in as a left back for Rangers, standing tall at an awe-inspiring 5ft 8in (1.74m) tall, and weighing in at a mean and lean 67kg (10st 7lb). It's the number 3 jersey that enjoys the privilege of his company.
According to Transfermarkt, he traipsed over to Besiktas in the Süper Lig in Turkey as a trainee back in 2009. His debut season in 2018 - 2019 saw him keep the bench warm, making one appearance in a league match. The subsequent years saw him work out his boots, making six appearances in the 2019 - 2020 season, and increasing to 18 and 27 in the succeeding seasons, even managing to knock one in the net during 2020 - 2021, and three more the next year.
In a decision I'm sure was hard to make, Yılmaz traded in the balmy climes of Turkey for the unforgiving Scottish chill, moving to Rangers for a cool £5.3m in July 2022. Clearly an adaptable lad, he's made a decent impact since then, featuring in a not-unimpressive tally of first-team league matches. Nine appearances in the 2022 - 2023 season, 26. in 2023 - 2024, and 17 in the present 2024 - 2025 season. He even scored a goal during his second season at Rangers. Take a bow, son.
He's not rested on his laurels though, having tussled in the League Cup, Scottish Cup, Europa League, and even Champions League Qualifiers, though here I use the term 'tussled' loosely. In the grand tapestry of his career, it might look like a mere sketch, but it does present a tantalising 'what if'.
All things considered, it's been an interesting ride for Yılmaz, hasn't it? From dallying about in Turkey to gallivanting about in Scotland - who's to say where he'll pop up next? Not us, certainly, but we'll be watching. Oh yes, we'll be watching.
