Soccer star needs our help

He is the first Deniliquin High School student in recent memory to make the team.

But without financial support, Kaan may miss his opportunity to play in the Sydney carnival this May.

Kaan and his family, who relocated to Deniliquin from Turkey eight years ago, have already paid a $300 registration fee to allow Kaan to play as part of the side.

But they are quickly learning that travel costs and Sydney’s massive accommodation costs will add up to more they can handle on their own.

They have sought assistance from the school and government representatives, including Federal Senator Perin Davey, but little help is available.

They later learned of a state grant that could assist, but the application deadline has already passed.

They family has turned to crowd sourcing through Go Fund Me to help Kaan live out his dream.

“My son wants to do this, so we will do what we can,” Kaan’s father Michael said.

“The high school said they could help, but they could only contribute $100.

“We think we might need about $2500, mostly because of the cost of Sydney hotels.

“We also need to arrange flights and a hire car once we get to Sydney; our car is too old to make the trip, but we may take it all the way there if we have to.”

As soon as Kaan could walk and run he was kicking a football.

He would play in the backyard with his father growing up in Turkey.

Pleasantly surprised to find a soccer association in their new home in Australia, Kaan has continued playing the sport he loves with the Deniliquin & District Soccer Association and now the Deniliquin Wanderers.

“I started playing in Turkey, and came to Australia when I was seven,” Kaan said.

“If you are a boy in Turkey, there’s no chance you haven’t played footy.

“I was always interested in the sport and enjoyed it.”

Kaan graduated to the Deni Wanderers last year, and is part of the club’s side again this year.

He’s also obtained the necessary qualifications to become an umpire for junior games this year, which is the start of a long-held goal to be paid for doing something he loves.

While Kaan plays soccer for the love of it, he said he’d also love to go professional one day.

“I would love to make a living doing something I love, but I would keep playing either way,” he said.

“There are not too many opportunities to go professional in Australia.

“There is the NPL – the National Premier League – which is semi-rpo.

“The closest league is based in Shepparton, but I’m not able to get there for training two times a week. The fees for that league are also out of reach for me.

“I would rather play professionally in Europe though – the quality of football is just so much higher.

“There is a passion for it there that you just don’t see with anything else.”

Kaan currently trains with the Deni Wanderers once a week, but he also trains solo most other days to keep up his skills and fitness.

And gym fitness will soon be added to his routine too, thanks to the free FitNow membership he gets after taking a job in the Deniliquin RSL Club’s kitchen as a dishwasher.

Kaan plays left wing striker, which he says is often the highest paid player of any soccer team.

And while it is one of the most pivotal positions on the field, he says what he loves about soccer is that it truly is a team sport.

“The striker goes for goals, but as a left wing you provide options into goals for others as well,” he said.

“The aim is to cross the ball in to the goal square.

“In soccer, everyone has a role.

“If one position fails, the whole side falls down.”

Kaan qualified for the Riverina Boys Football team after attending trials in Wagga in term one.

Sixty students attended the trials, with only 15 chosen for the side to go to Sydney.

The state championships will be held in Sydney from May 9 to 11.

At the time of going to print yesterday, after just five days live, the fundraiser for Kaan had raised almost $1300.

If you can assist him to get to the championships, donations are being accepted at https://gofund.me/075bb2db.