SYDNEY have lost another foundation star with midfielder Ufuk Talay completing his transfer to Japanese second division outfit, Avispa Fukuoka.
Talay will train for a last time with his Sydney team mates today before jetting off to Japan as Sydney prepare to represent Australia at the Pan Pacific Championships in Hawaii next week.
Talay has described his three years with Sydney as “easily the happiest and most exciting of my career” after returning to be part of the inaugural A-League season following a 10-year stint in Turkey.
“The last three years have been easily the happiest and most exciting of my career,” Talay said. “I’m leaving Sydney with some great memories. I’m a Sydney boy and I’ve been lucky to play for my home club in the first three years of the A-League.
“We’ve had a great bunch of blokes here and it just seems like we’ve moved from one exciting thing to another.
“In three years we won the Club World Championships tournaments in Australia and Tahiti (Oceania) and represented Australia in Japan at the World Club Championships, we won the first ever Grand Final and we went to Asia to play Champions League.
“It has been a great three years and hopefully after my time in Japan I will be able to come back and be involved at Sydney FC.”
Talay, who was one of the first overseas-based players to return to Australia to take part in the A-League, follows inaugural Sydney FC club captain Mark Rudan in leaving the club after fulfilling their three year contracts.
“Ufy (Talay) leaves us with nothing but good wishes and good memories,” said Sydney CEO George Perry. “As with Mark Rudan earlier this year we are once again faced with the departure of one of our foundation players and it is a sad day for Sydney.
“Guys like Ufy took a big punt to come back to Australia and Sydney, the A-League and football fans in general owe him and other players who took that risk a huge debt of gratitude.
“We wish him the best of luck in Japan as he continues what has been a wonderful career.”
While Talay is leaving for Japan, Sydney players will return to training today to prepare for the Pan Pacific Championships in Hawaii.
The Sydney FC team leaves for Hawaii on Sunday evening.
Talay has described his three years with Sydney as “easily the happiest and most exciting of my career” after returning to be part of the inaugural A-League season following a 10-year stint in Turkey.
“The last three years have been easily the happiest and most exciting of my career,” Talay said. “I’m leaving Sydney with some great memories. I’m a Sydney boy and I’ve been lucky to play for my home club in the first three years of the A-League.
“We’ve had a great bunch of blokes here and it just seems like we’ve moved from one exciting thing to another.
“In three years we won the Club World Championships tournaments in Australia and Tahiti (Oceania) and represented Australia in Japan at the World Club Championships, we won the first ever Grand Final and we went to Asia to play Champions League.
“It has been a great three years and hopefully after my time in Japan I will be able to come back and be involved at Sydney FC.”
Talay, who was one of the first overseas-based players to return to Australia to take part in the A-League, follows inaugural Sydney FC club captain Mark Rudan in leaving the club after fulfilling their three year contracts.
“Ufy (Talay) leaves us with nothing but good wishes and good memories,” said Sydney CEO George Perry. “As with Mark Rudan earlier this year we are once again faced with the departure of one of our foundation players and it is a sad day for Sydney.
“Guys like Ufy took a big punt to come back to Australia and Sydney, the A-League and football fans in general owe him and other players who took that risk a huge debt of gratitude.
“We wish him the best of luck in Japan as he continues what has been a wonderful career.”
While Talay is leaving for Japan, Sydney players will return to training today to prepare for the Pan Pacific Championships in Hawaii.
The Sydney FC team leaves for Hawaii on Sunday evening.
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