Mertcan Ayhan signs long-term contract

“We’re absolutely delighted that Mertcan Ayhan, a highly talented player from our own academy, sees his long-term future at Schalke. We’re impressed by how focused and driven he is. As a local boy from Gelsenkirchen, he’s already made remarkable progress here at Schalke, and we look forward to continuing to support him on his journey over the coming years. The fact that he’s made such a strong impression during pre-season speaks volumes about both Mertcan himself and the excellent work being done in our Knappenschmiede academy,” said Youri Mulder, director of professional football.

“Signing my first professional contract at Schalke 04 and remaining a Royal Blue means so much to me. I know I’ve got a lot to learn still and will therefore use every training session to help me improve my game and to help the team. For me, it’s both a challenge and an opportunity to train with the first team under Miron Muslic and to get minutes on the pitch,” commented Mertcan Ayhan.

The Gelsenkirchen native joined the Knappenschmiede in summer 2014 from DJK TuS Rotthausen aged just eight. He went on to be a key performer for the club’s youth teams and won the West German title and Westfalia Cup with the U17s. The defender also made his debut for Turkey at that age group. He has played 26 times in total for Turkey’s youth sides, scoring three goals. Ayhan captained Schalke’s U19 team last season, appearing 20 times and scoring five goals. He made a first-team squad for the first time on the penultimate matchday of last season in Düsseldorf.