Mertcan Ayhan is one of the rising stars at FC Schalke 04, the current leaders of the 2nd division. Now he has 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 until the summer of 2028 without an exit clause.

The fact that the former captain of Schalke’s U19 team is a huge talent was clear to those in charge at S04, at the latest after talks with A-youth coach Norbert Elgert, who had strongly advocated for his player to stay at Schalke. But no one could have predicted that Ayhan would play ten games in the back three in his first six months as a professional. Ayhan benefited from Timo Becker’s injury. Since the 2-1 win at Arminia Bielefeld, Ayhan has always played on the right side of the back three. In those ten games, Schalke conceded only six goals. “I was patient and waited for my chance,” Ayhan said in a review with the club media. He benefits greatly from the experienced Nicola Katic and Hasan Kurucay. He can also learn a lot from Timo Becker. The difference between the A-youth team is already clearly noticeable in terms of tackling, intensity, and running performance.

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 contact person. However, he had already told Forecasting in the summer that he did not want to influence his brother, who is twelve years younger. “As his brother, it’s very important to me that he steps out of my shadow and pursues his own interests,” explained Kaan Ayhan, who currently plays for Galatasaray Istanbul.

That is exactly what the self-confident 19-year-old Mertcan is now doing. On the pitch, of course, but also off it. And that is why he wants to continue working hard to ensure that he is no longer frequently introduced in Turkey as Kaan Ayhan’s brother, as is currently the case. Of course, he is proud of Kaan. But he wants to make a name for himself, said Mertcan. And he added jokingly: “Maybe one day my brother will be introduced as the brother of Mertcan Ayhan.”

To do that, however, he would probably have to become a Turkish international at the very least. No one would be happier for him than his brother Kaan.