Interview: Ozturk Football Kits | Shirt Collector & Kit Community Creative | Galatasaray Fan.
Say a big hello to Abdurrahman! Many of you will already know him as a familiar face in the football shirt collecting community. He showcases his growing collection of shirts on Instagram, so make sure you check out his page (@ozturk_footballkits)! We thought it was about time we caught up with him to chat about his journey as a collector, his love for Galatasaray and some of the stories behind his collection.
What do football shirts mean to you?
As someone who loves retro shirts, I see them as a connection to the past, bringing back memories, personal experiences and football culture. Having grown up in the 90s, even just seeing certain shirts takes me straight back to those great days. They're also part of my personal style. People found it a bit unusual at first, but my friends have now got used to me turning up to a weekend get-together wearing a nice football shirt!
📸 Abdurrahman showing off some of his collection with his friends
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What is it that makes a particular football shirt so special?
If it's a shirt from my own club, it's all about the story behind it, the iconic players who wore it and the personal memories I associate with that era. When it comes to shirts from other clubs, I'd say rarity, design and the success a team achieved while wearing that particular shirt are what make it special to me.
📸 Abdurrahman with his 1999/00 Aston Villa away shirt at Villa Park in 2024
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Do you remember your first shirt?
My first shirt was the 1996/97 Galatasaray home shirt with number 8 on the back. I was around six or seven years old at the time. My dad owned a clothing shop and often travelled to Istanbul to buy stock for his business. On one of those trips, he came back with dozens of shirts and tracksuits from different clubs, and that's when he gave me my very first shirt. Unfortunately, it got lost somewhere along the way over the years, which is a real shame.
What is your favourite era of shirts?
If I had to pick one era, it would definitely be the 90s. The underrated manufacturers, baggy fits, iconic sponsors and the football culture of that time all made it special. For me, the 90s really were the golden age of football!
📸 Abdurrahman rocking this awesome 1998/99 Spain home shirt
How many shirts do you have in your collection, and is there one that particularly stands out?
I've lost count of the exact number, but I've got around 200 shirts. One that particularly stands out is my 1992/93 Galatasaray away shirt, which I picked up from Football Finery! It's an incredibly rare piece that I'd been hunting down for a long time. I'd say it's probably the shirt that puts the biggest smile on my face whenever I see it hanging in my wardrobe.
📸 Abdurrahman wearing his absolute favourite - the 1992/93 Galatasaray away shirt!
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What do you look for in a shirt and what sort of shirts do you usually collect?
Although I'm a die-hard Galatasaray fan, I don't set any boundaries when it comes to collecting. I even collect shirts from our biggest rivals, but wearing them myself is where I draw the line! My main interest is in shirts from the late 90s and early 2000s, so that's where most of my collection comes from. I'm very particular about condition, and I'm a massive fan of flock detailing and those classic baggy fits.
📸 Abdurrahman wearing this gorgeous 1999/00 Liverpool away shirt
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We know you're a regular at both the Retro and Vintage Football Fairs, what is it that you love about them?
For me, football shirt fairs are more about getting together with the community, rather than just a day of shopping. We can already check sellers' stock online through their websites, but what makes these events special is catching up with familiar faces, meeting new sellers and fellow collectors, and most importantly, being able to see and feel the shirts in person. I used to attend these fairs on my own, but these days I bring a few friends along. It's become a regular weekend activity for us!
📸 Abdurrahman and Chris at the Vintage Football Fair in Birmingham in 2026
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What is it that hooked you to supporting Galatasaray?
Growing up with a dad who wasn't really interested in football, it was actually my uncle who got me into supporting Galatasaray. During my childhood, Galatasaray won four consecutive league titles followed by two European trophies, so the club had a huge influence on kids growing up in that era. Whenever we played football in the school playground during breaks, everyone wanted to be Hagi, Bülent Korkmaz or Hakan Şükür!
📸 Abdurrahman wearing his 2003/04 Galatasaray third shirt
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Do you remember going to your first Galatasaray game?
Galatasaray moved to RAMS Park in 2011, having previously played at the iconic Ali Sami Yen Stadium in central Istanbul. I grew up in a middle-income family in central Türkiye, and my first visit to Istanbul wasn't until 2010, when I got into university. Unfortunately, that meant I never had the chance to watch Galatasaray play at their old ground. My first match at RAMS Park was a Süper Lig game against Mersin İdman Yurdu in 2013, in which we won 3–1! We conceded an early goal and went down to ten men, but still managed to turn the game around, with Didier Drogba stealing the show with two goals.
📸 Abdurrahman at RAMS Park in 2026
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Do you have a moment from following Galatasaray that you'll never forget?
I think most Galatasaray fans would probably say the UEFA Cup triumph in 2000, or the UEFA Super Cup that followed. Those two European trophies remain the greatest achievements in Turkish football history. But if I had to pick a moment from when I was a bit older and could fully appreciate what was happening, it would be the final match of the 2011/12 season. We secured the league title with a draw away to Fenerbahçe, lifting the trophy at our biggest rivals' stadium. That's something I'll never forget.