Ersan Gülüm
Ersan Adem Gülüm | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 17, 1987 Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Professional footballer (retired), football club president |
| Years active | 2005–2020s |
| Known for | Central defender for clubs including Beşiktaş, Adelaide United, Western United; president of Hume City FC; Turkey national team player |
Ersan Adem Gülüm (; born 17 May 1987) is a retired professional footballer who last featured as a central defender for Preston Lions competing in the NPL Victoria 3. He currently holds the position of president at Hume City FC. Although born in Australia, Gülüm initially played for Australia's under-23 team before opting to represent the senior Turkey side.
Career
Gülüm's career progressed following impressive displays for Hume City when he was 18 years old. In 2005, after being scouted by Leading Teams Operations Manager Ezel Hikmet and recommended to coach Ersun Yanal during his captaincy of the Australian School Boys team in the UK, he moved to Turkish Super League club Manisaspor. While part of the senior squad, his appearances were limited to just two league matches and two Turkish Cup games.
In February 2008, he transferred to Elazigspor, where he featured in every game, establishing himself as a dependable left-footed defender. His consistent performances earned him a lucrative three-year deal with Adanaspor for the 2008–09 season. During his time there, he played 30 league fixtures and was recognized as the best central defender by being included in the competition’s team of the year.
On 17 July 2010, despite speculation linking him to Galatasaray, Gülüm signed with their rivals Beşiktaş, with Adanaspor retaining an option to loan him back for one season. After a successful initial season, Beşiktaş secured full ownership of his contract for €4 million.
On 17 July 2017, Gülüm joined Adelaide United on a season-long loan from Chinese club Hebei China Fortune. He made 22 appearances before returning to Hebei China Fortune at the conclusion of his loan spell.
In November 2018, Gülüm returned to Melbourne taking on a dual role as player-manager for Victorian State League Division 1 outfit Whittlesea United.
On 7 May 2019, he signed with newly formed A-League franchise Western United FC ahead of the 2019–20 A-League campaign.
International career
Born in Australia to Turkish parents, Gülüm qualified to represent both Australia and Turkey according to FIFA eligibility criteria.
Australia under-23s
Gülüm took part in the qualification phase for the 2008 Summer Olympics with Australia's under-23 squad, making his first appearance as a late substitute in June 2007 during a match against Jordan.
Although there was speculation in November 2010 about his potential selection for Australia's friendly encounter with Egypt, Gülüm was ultimately not chosen. Following this, he decided to commit to Turkey, expressing that he felt neglected by Football Federation Australia.
Turkey
Guus Hiddink, who previously coached Australia, named Gülüm in Turkey's squad for a November 2010 fixture versus the Netherlands; however, he did not make his debut at that time. Later that year, Australia’s coach Holger Osieck met with Gülüm, who showed willingness to play for Australia and was included in the initial 50-player list for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup but did not make the final team selection. Osieck highlighted that Gülüm’s family favored Turkey due to his professional trajectory and media influences in Turkey.
In November 2012, under the management of Abdullah Avcı, Gülüm conveyed his pride upon joining the Turkish national team. Although he was excluded from the squad for a match against Romania in October 2012 and remained an unused substitute against Andorra in September 2013, he eventually earned his international debut as a substitute during a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying game against Romania on 10 September 2013.
Honours
- Beşiktaş