Samed Yesil, a former Liverpool striker who never made the grade at Anfield, scored 95 goals in a single season for German ninth-tier club ATS Krefeld during the 2024/25 campaign.
Yesil began his career in his native Germany, starting out with two local teams in his hometown of Dusseldorf. At the age of 11, he accepted a trial at Bayer Leverkusen and earned a place in their academy.
Youth Prolificacy and Liverpool Move
The forward scored 22 goals in 24 matches during the 2010/11 season, which led to him being moved up to the age group above. In total, he scored 57 times in 71 games for Leverkusen's youth teams between 2010 and 2012.
His prolific form earned him a first-team breakthrough, making just a handful of appearances before Liverpool secured his signature. However, he never made a lasting impression at Anfield, playing only a couple of times in the League Cup before leaving in 2016.
Journeyman Career and Amateur Leagues
Yesil ended up as a journeyman, spending time at many clubs throughout Europe before returning to Germany, where he played in the amateur leagues. He scored 95 goals for ATS Krefeld in the 2024/25 season, making him one of the deadliest strikers in the world based purely on that return.
However, it is a far cry from the glamour of the Premier League, which Yesil never actually got to play in. He never managed to reach his full potential, with injuries taking their toll and stopping him from developing into the player many thought he would become.
Injury Struggles at Liverpool
Reflecting on his fitness problems while at Liverpool in an interview with The Athletic, he said: "As I went to change direction, my leg stopped and my knee turned. There was some pain but I didn’t think it was serious. I actually played on.
"After the game, I went to see the doctor. He did all the tests and said it was probably just a bit painful because of the pitch. When I got back to Liverpool I went out to train but, after about 20 minutes, I had to stop because the pain was so bad.
"They sent me for an MRI scan and that showed my ACL was badly damaged. I went to London for an operation. During a training session at Liverpool, I went to run back and my knee twisted. I heard a big ‘boom’ noise.
"I knew it was the same injury. Same ACL, same knee. It swelled up so much. Everyone has a different opinion about why it happened again.
"Some say it happened because my rehab wasn’t so good and maybe I started back too early. Others say maybe the operation didn’t go so well.
"The second time, I decided to have the surgery done in Germany by the specialist who operates on all the national team players.
"I have to say a big thank you to Liverpool for respecting my wishes on that. They also let me do my rehab in Germany, which was fantastic of them."
