Having grafted relentlessly to earn a chance to swap Sunday League football for AFC Wimbledon, Huseyin Biler provides a fine example of what can be achieved against the odds.
While playing Sunday League football for Walthamstow-based Ryan FC, Hus trained every day with his mates in pursuit of a dream that had floundered after unsuccessful trials with league clubs.
His resolve as a professional footballer has been also been tested since making his first-team breakthrough by a succession of injuries, but now he’s determined to make up for lost time by demonstrating his eye-catching talents down the right flank once again.
For those who missed this extensive interview for the Matchday Programme versus Swindon, Hus talked about bouncing back from setbacks, his twin brother Ahmet’s football progress, and his dream cup tie for the Dons!
You’ve been back in the team recently after injury – what’s your assessment of the season so far?
We’ve got a great team here with bundles of ability – there’s plenty of potential in the squad. Everyone was gutted about last season and I could sense from talking to staff months ago that we were going to do a lot better this time around. As a club, we had to do something about it and now everyone in the squad can bring something positive to the table. Collectively, we’ve built great relationships and our unity is very good. Now we’ve got to kick-on and try to get into the play-offs.
It’s been good for me to be back playing, but it could have been a lot better. Unfortunately, I got the red card – that was a big learning curve for me. It was my first one and I’ve learned from it now. In that match against Doncaster I picked up a yellow and I didn’t change the way I was playing, but in the FA Cup the other night I got booked in the second-half and I didn’t see myself getting sent off, even if I had played the full 90 minutes. I let my opponent have the ball and showed him one way, adjusting my game to the circumstances. That’s something I’ve learned to do.
Have you taken advice from senior players here on that?
Yes. Just before I went out for the second-half against Ramsgate Alex Pearce was telling me to calm down, to stay on my feet. The coaching staff have also played at a high level themselves, so they guide me as well. I’m taking advice from all of them.
You were still playing Sunday League football for Ryan FC in Walthamstow well into your teenage years. Can you remember when you joined us and how you were spotted?
I was 17 years of age and it was two weeks before the season started for the Under-18s. My agent was the one who spotted me playing Sunday League football and he brought me over here through a contact. I came in, adapted well, and Mark Robinson signed me within two or three weeks.
Did you ever feel that a chance in football had passed you by?
No, because I was always hungry and determined to make it. I wasn’t the brightest at school and I could have achieved more with my studies, but I always had that distraction with football. I played every day and I would just go down to the pitches next to our school and kick a ball around with my brother and a few mates. Everyone follows a different path in life, so I certainly wouldn’t advise against studying, but for me it was always football and I had belief that I would succeed. It’s often said that hard work beats talent and that’s what I was about at the time.
I worked very hard and I had great support around me. I would do double training sessions, working day and night, just to get to the fitness levels required to become a professional footballer. I would train with a group of lads all of the time as I knew that it wasn’t enough to only be training once or twice a week with my Sunday League team. I trained every day, so that I was ready for when an opportunity came along with a professional club.
Did you have trials with other clubs when you were growing up?
Yes. I was brought up in North London and I had trials with Leyton Orient, Colchester, and Barnet. I also went up to Blackburn, but the person who handed me the opportunity lost his job at a time when I was about to sign.
You’ve made 26 first-team appearances now, but your debut at Oxford in the Trophy came almost three years ago. Has it been difficult for you at times with the injuries you’ve suffered?
It’s a blessing to have played those games for the first-team, but it’s been difficult having those setbacks. Injuries are part and parcel of football, but I’ve learned about my own body and to adapt my game as well when I’m fatigued.
The hamstring injury has been a recurring one. I’ve also had MCL injuries on each leg, but these happen through impacts. Hamstring injuries are a bit more under my control, and it’s something I am learning to deal with, but that was what kept me out of the start of this season. I thank our medical team here because they’ve helped to strengthen my body – my mobility and flexibility has become better.
Some young players have been unable to come back from such setbacks – are you the type of character who has the resilience to bounce back?
Injuries are hard to deal with, but when you have God on your side and a supportive family it becomes easier to come back from. There are a lot of young players out there – even senior players – who find injuries very hard to deal with because maybe they don’t have the faith or belief that I have. It takes a lot of mental stability, faith, and patience to overcome injuries and I think I’ve done that, particularly with the reoccurrence of my hamstring injury.
I’m a big believer in God and that everything happens for a reason. I always believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel with any negative situation. I’ve adapted by seeing negative situations as blessings - something positive can always arise.
Are you one of those footballers who likes to watch other games, or do you like to switch off and get away from it all?
If there’s any game on TV I will be watching it! If you watch football at higher levels and analyze it you can learn a lot. When there are not games on TV I like to spend time with my family and my friends. Sometimes I will watch a movie, I’ve just watched Jerry Maguire, which is based on a true story, so that was great. Currently, I am watching Suits, which is a good series about lawyers. I find that quite interesting.
What did you know about Wimbledon before signing here?
I knew about the history of Wimbledon with the Crazy Gang. I had heard a lot about Vinnie Jones and players from that era. Plough Lane is a special place for us all because it’s a remembrance of what we were and when the Club previously played here back in the day. It’s particularly special to me because it was where I made my home debut.
I came here to sign my first professional contract and had a photo taken when Plough Lane was in the process of being built. It’s obviously a lot different now, there wasn’t even grass on the pitch when I signed and it was still a building site!
What is the highlight of your career so far?
Making my league debut against Tranmere, winning 2-0 away. Ayoub scored and I still speak to him whenever I can. He is one of my best mates and he’s getting on well over in Qatar. We know he’s a great talent and he’s got a lot more to come.
You have a twin brother – Ahmet – who plays football as well. How is he getting on?
He is playing for Wingate & Finchley in the Ryman Premier League and they are doing well. They are going for promotion. He is just as good as me.
What is your family background?
Both of my parents were born in Cyprus – they are Turkish-Cypriot. My Mum came to England at the age of two or three, so very young, and my Dad was 10 or 11 when he came here. He stayed with my Uncle, who lived in London and then got a job here, and it all went on from there.
Would playing for Cyprus at international level be an option that you would welcome?
I always aim for the highest level that I can reach, so England would be the priority for me, but also Cyprus and Turkey as well. If I got a Turkish passport I would be eligible to play for the national team.
You went on loan to Hendon, Merstham, and Welling earlier in your career – was it a test to adjust to men’s football back then?
You need things to go your way when you go out on loan. You could go to a team that don’t suit the way that you see football. Non League managers have their ways of playing and they are reluctant to change it. However, all my loan spells still provided great experiences, in particular through the fundamentals of what it means to win a game of football. It doesn’t matter how you play, it’s all about getting the three points. That was a learning curve that stood me in good stead for the future.
What would be your dream cup tie?
I had a dream recently – and I spoke to my agent about this – that we drew Liverpool away. Going to Anfield would be a dream cup tie. I’ve heard on Podcasts, through interviews, and from managers, that the atmosphere at Anfield is electric. I want to have that feeling to experience what it feels like to play there and against a very strong side with world class players. I would love to judge myself and test the levels that I’m at as a player. Mo Salah is a hero at Liverpool now, but you can also tell through his character that he’s a humble person. He has a lot of desire to be the best and he works very hard – characteristics that I share.
Make sure you snap-up a programme for our Boxing Day match versus Sutton as it includes a revealing interview with Assistant Manager Terry Skiverton.