Mertcan Ayhan is one of the rising stars at 2. Bundesliga leaders FC Schalke 04. Now he’s made a (not entirely serious) announcement to his brother Kaan.

Mertcan Ayhan was one of the big winners at FC Schalke 04 in the first half of the season. The defensive gem only signed a professional contract with Schalke in July. The Gelsenkirchen native has signed with the Royal Blues through the summer of 2028 with no buyout clause.

That the former captain of Schalke’s U19 team is a massive talent was clear to the S04 management at the latest after discussions with U19 coach Norbert Elgert, who had strongly advocated for his player to stay at Schalke. But it was impossible to foresee that Ayhan would already play ten matches in the three-man defensive line during his first six months as a professional.

Ayhan benefited from Timo Becker’s injury. Since the 2-1 win at Arminia Bielefeld, Ayhan has consistently played on the right side of the three-man defensive line. In those ten matches, Schalke conceded only six goals. “I was patient and waited for my chance,” Ayhan said in a retrospective interview with the club media.

He benefits greatly from the experienced Nicola Katic and Hasan Kurucay. And he can also learn a lot from Timo Becker. The difference between the U-19 team is already clearly noticeable in terms of tackling, intensity, and work rate.

He is supported by his father, who is often present at training sessions. Of course, his brother Kaan Ayhan is also always available as a point of contact. However, he had already told Forecasting last summer that he did not want to influence his brother, who is twelve years his junior. “As his brother, I place great importance on him stepping out of my shadow and pursuing his own interests,” explained Kaan Ayhan, who currently plays for Galatasaray Istanbul.

That is exactly what the self-assured 19-year-old Mertcan is doing now. On the field, of course, but also off it. And that is why he wants to continue working toward ensuring that, through strong performances, he is no longer introduced in Turkey—as is still often the case—as Kaan Ayhan’s brother. Of course, he’s proud of Kaan. But he wants to make a name for himself, Mertcan said. And he jokingly added: “Maybe one day my brother will be introduced as Mertcan Ayhan’s brother.”

To do that, though, he’d probably have to become a Turkish national team player himself. No one would be happier for him than his brother Kaan.