Veli Kavlak

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Veli Kavlak

| image = Veli-CL-vs-Arsenal-14-15.jpg

| upright =

| caption = Kavlak with Beşiktaş in 2014

| full_name = Veli Kavlak{{Cite web |title=FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2007 – List of Players |url=http://www.fifadata.com/document/FWYC/2007/pdf/FWYC_2007_SquadLists.pdf |publisher=FIFA |page=2 |date=5 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231000046/http://www.fifadata.com/document/FWYC/2007/pdf/FWYC_2007_SquadLists.pdf |archive-date=31 December 2013}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1988|11|03|df=y}}

| birth_place = Vienna, Austria

| height = 1.79 m{{cite web|title=Veli Kavlak|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/veli-kavlak/11131/|work=Soccerway|publisher=Global Sports Media|access-date=20 December 2011}}

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = SK Slovan HAC

| youthyears2 = 2003–2004

| youthclubs2 = Rapid Wien

| years1 = 2004–2011

| clubs1 = Rapid Wien

| caps1 = 146

| goals1 = 13

| years2 = 2011–2018

| clubs2 = Beşiktaş

| caps2 = 115

| goals2 = 6

| totalcaps = 261

| totalgoals = 19

| nationalyears1 = 2005–2006

| nationalteam1 = Austria U19

| nationalcaps1 = 4

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2006–2007

| nationalteam2 = Austria U20

| nationalcaps2 = 7

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalyears3 = 2007–2010

| nationalteam3 = Austria U21

| nationalcaps3 = 18

| nationalgoals3 = 1

| nationalyears4 = 2007–2014

| nationalteam4 = Austria

| nationalcaps4 = 31

| nationalgoals4 = 1

}}

Veli Kavlak (born 3 November 1988) is an Austrian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Rapid Wien and Turkish club Beşiktaş. He made 31 appearances for the Austria at international level scoring one goal.

International career

On 15 August 2012 he scored against his parents' home country Turkey playing for Austria in the 3rd minute. Austria went on to win that game 2–0.

Style of play

Kavlak is a defensive box-to-box midfielder. At club level, he is deployed in the holding role and is key in midfield with his tireless running and endless stamina. He is also a hardworking leader and although not being known for unsportsmanlike acts, he is known to be a hatchet man in midfield. Kavlak is often accompanied by another more offensive central midfielder such as Manuel Fernandes and Oğuzhan Özyakup. At international level, however, he has most prominently featured in a more advanced position in front of a holding midfielder.

Personal life

Veli Kavlak was born to Turkish parents.{{cite web|title=Loyalty test for Rapid's Turkish-tinged trio |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/01e9-0e75a89a73d9-981e992f1d55-1000--loyalty-test-for-rapid-s-turkish-tinged-trio/|access-date=27 November 2010}} He also holds Turkish citizenship.{{cite web | url = http://www.tff.org/Default.aspx?pageId=526&kisiId=1388955 | title = Player Details | publisher = TFF.org | access-date = 12 January 2014}}

He speaks Turkish fluently.

Career statistics

=Club=

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="3"\|League !colspan="2"\|National cup !colspan="2"\|Continental !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan="8"\|Rapid Wien \|2004–05 \|rowspan="7"\|Austrian Bundesliga \|2	0	0	0	colspan="2"\|–	2	0
2005–06 \|14	2	2	0	1	0	17	2
2006–07 \|29	3	1	0	colspan="2"\|–	30	3
2007–08 \|27	2	4	1	colspan="2"\|–	31	3
2008–09 \|29	4	3	1	2	0	34	5
2009–10 \|24	2	2	0	7	0	33	2
2010–11 \|21	0	3	0	10	1	34	1
colspan="2"\|Total !146	13	15	2	20	1	181	16
rowspan="8"\|Beşiktaş \|2011–12 \|rowspan="7"\|Super Lig \|33	1	1	1	11	0	45	2
2012–13 \|30	1	3	0	0	0	33	1
2013–14 \|29	3	0	0	2	0	31	3
2014–15 \|22	1	1	0	12	0	35	2
2015–16 \|1	0	5	0	0	0	6	0
2016–17 \|0	0	2	0	0	0	2	0
2017–18 \|0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
colspan="2"\|Total !115	6	12	1	25	0	152	7
colspan="3"\|Career total !261	19	27	3	45	1	333	23

=International=

National team	Year	Apps
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year
rowspan="8"\|Austria \|2007	3	0
2008	1	0
2009	3	0
2010	5	0
2011	3	0
2012	7	1
2013	7	0
2014	2	0
colspan="2"\|Total	31	1

:Scores and results list Austria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kavlak goal.

class="wikitable sortable" \|+ List of international goals scored by Veli Kavlak
scope="col"\|No. !scope="col"\|Date !scope="col"\|Venue !scope="col"\|Opponent !scope="col"\|Score !scope="col"\|Result !scope="col"\|Competition
style="text-align:center"\|1	15 August 2012	Ernst Happel Stadium, Vienna, Austria	{{fb\|TUR}}	style="text-align:center"\|1–0	style="text-align:center"\|2–0	Friendly

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ List of international goals scored by Veli Kavlak

scope="col"|No.

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Venue

!scope="col"|Opponent

!scope="col"|Score

!scope="col"|Result

!scope="col"|Competition

style="text-align:center"|1

15 August 2012

Ernst Happel Stadium, Vienna, Austria