Azizbek Tulkinbekov: Uzbekistan’s record player plays like Aké, Martínez & Alaba
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Uzbekistan were one of the big surprises at last year’s U17 World Cup. The team survived the group phase and eliminated England (2-1), then only lost narrowly to eventual runners-up France (0-1). Among the standout players was center-back Azizbek Tulkinbekov, who started every game at the tournament. Then, after the World Cup, the Bunyodkor Tashkent talent broke the record for the youngest player in Superligasi history.
It didn’t take long for scouts working for Bunyodkor to discover the talent and delegate him quickly to the best youth academy in the country. Tulkinbekov always stood out, and at 15, eight months, and 28 days, he celebrated his debut in November 2022 against FK Kokand 1912 (1-0) in the Uzbek first division—until today, he is the youngest player in league history.
Young players like Tulkinbekov represent the change in Uzbek football and cement the dream of finally qualifying for a World Cup. It does indeed look good in the current qualification cycle. Young and promising players are given opportunities to play in the Superligasi. Teams like Nasaf Qarshi, Pakhtakor Tashkent and Bunyodkor use mostly players from their own academies.
The center-back was given several opportunities with the first team and made another short appearance in 2023 before cementing his place in the starting XI at Bunyodkor following the U17 World Cup. On the national team, he now represents Uzbekistan at the U20 level and is expected to represent his country at the Asian Cup in February. Tulkinbekov has also featured for the U21, where he has also set a new record for the youngest debut.
“Tulkinbekov can play several positions; he can play center-back, wing-back, and midfield, which gives his coaches several options to use him,” Area Manager World at Transfermarkt Georgiy Lekarev said. “But he isn’t very tall for a center-back, which means the best place for him is playing the right side of a three-man backline.” At 181cm, the Uzbek falls into the same category as Nathan Aké, Lisandro Martínez or David Alaba.
Playing in a back three or on the wing also gives Tulkinbekov better opportunities to use his qualities. “He can use his tempo and acceleration in a high press defensively but also to support the attack,” Lekarev said. “He likes to join the attack with the ball on his foot, and his great vision is an important factor in the buildup play. Tulkinbekov can read the game well, which helps his active defensive style and create pressure on the opponent.” He can improve his technique, but the overall package makes him an intriguing player for the future.
From December 1 to 24, we introduce new players from different countries born in 2007 and 2008. Area managers, users, and data scouts come into play as experts throughout the series. You can follow all those players by adding them to your TM watchlist.
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