Scott Carson off to Turkey

West Brom keeper Scott Carson looks as though he is on his way to Turkey. Pictures of Carson undergoing a medical have appeared on the Bursaspor website and it therefore appears likely that he will make his move to the club soon.

Bursaspor, who play in front of 20,000 fanatical fans, finished third in the Turkish Super Lig last season after winning it the season before. They were knocked out of the group stages of the Champions League and will be playing in next season’s Europa League. The club, who were only founded in 1963, play in green and are known as the Green Crocodiles.

Purchase

So what will the ‘Legend Teksas’, Bursaspor’s main fan base, be getting if the purchase of the twenty-five year old English keeper goes ahead?

I have to say that my opinions about Scott Carson are seriously clouded by one horrible rainy night at Wembley back in 2008. Just as I can never take Steve McClaren seriously as a manager after that night when England lost 3-2 at home to Croatia and therefore failed to qualify for Euro 2008, I can likewise never take Mr Carson seriously as a top goalkeeper. I know that is terribly unfair, but that’s how it is!

Ability

Carson’s ability in goal was spotted by Leeds back in 2002 when he was just sixteen years old. After a short spell with their academy and reserve side, Carson made his first team debut in 2004. He played just three games for Leeds before in January 2005 Liverpool signed him for a fee of £750,000.

Once again, Carson, despite being regarded as a hugely promising keeper, could not get a regular first team place. In order to gain experience, Liverpool loaned him out to other teams. He played nine games at Sheffield Wednesday, keeping five clean sheets and playing a major part in helping them avoid relegation.

Impressed

For the 2006-07 season, Carson was loaned out to then Premier League side Charlton. He played thirty-six games for them and although they were relegated at the end of that season, he impressed all who saw him and was voted as player of the season by the club’s supporters.

The following season, having failed to earn a first team place at Liverpool, he was loaned out again, this time to Aston Villa. It was during that season that he was suprisingly selected by McClaren to play in that crucial England game. It was just his third cap and his first in a competitive game. He had a nightmare.

Criticised

Many people criticised McClaren for selecting him rather than blaming Carson himself, but his reputation was damaged and, I believe, his confidence was shattered. I’m not sure he has ever fully recovered from that horrible evening.

In the Summer of 2008 Carson’s spell at Liverpool finally came to an end when they sold him to West Brom for £3.25 million. He played regularly in that season and again found himself being relegated. The following season saw an immediate return to the Premmier League and during this past season, he was still the first choice keeper for a majority of it.

Seasons

After three seasons when he has played a total of one hundred and eighteen games for the club, he now looks as though he is moving on.

Scott Carson was a highly promising keeper as a youngster and at the age of twenty-five he still has plenty of time to fulfill that promise. I do truly wish him well because there is no doubt that he has the talent. It might just be that Bursaspor are getting themselves a very decent signing. I’m not convinced, but it is possible.