Hakan Sukur, a prolific striker and the fastest scorer of World Cup 2002, has become an Uber driver in the United States, according to a German newspaper.
The 48-year-old former Inter Milan striker said his life turned upside down following his retirement in 2008.
Sukur entered politics after his retirement and won a seat in Turkey’s parliament as a member of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s right-wing Justice and Development Party in 2011.
However, a rift occurred between Sukur and President Erdogan due to the former's link with Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, who the president opposed.
This led Sukur to step down from parliament, and left him dealing with multiple administrative issues with his business.
The former striker later moved to the US with his family and took up a job as an Uber driver.
He said: "I have nothing left. Erdogan took everything including my right to liberty, freedom of expression, and right to work."
Unfortunately in 2016, his new life in America got threatened as well after an attempted coup on Erdogan’s government, which was suspected to be orchestrated by Gülen.
As Sukur's name was associated with Gülen, a warrant was issued for his arrest. Sukur was reported by Turkey’s state-run media to be “living the high life” as a “fugitive member of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO)."
However, Sukur kept on claiming that Erdogan’s government confiscated all of his houses, businesses, and bank accounts in Turkey, leaving him no choice but to move to a different country with a different profession.
The former legend netted 51 goals in his 112 appearances playing for Turkey, making him the nation’s all-time top goal scorer.
Between 1987 and 2008, Sukur played for teams like Galatasaray in Turkey, as well as Italy’s Inter Milan, and English side Blackburn Rovers.