The youngest player to play for Besiktas is more than a trivia fact — it’s a milestone in a storied club’s legacy, a symbol of trust in youth and daring decisions, AnaGoal will take you through the remarkable journey behind this record: the name, the date, the context — and what it means for Beşiktaş’s identity.
What counts as “playing for Besiktas”?
Before naming a “youngest,” we need clarity. Does this refer to:
- A first-team competitive appearance (league, cup, continental)?
- Any official match (including Sü.)?
- Just Turkish Süper Lig matches?
In the compiled records, “debutants” lists. Besiktas’s official metrics of youngest players reflect such broad criteria.
With that in mind, we turn to the list of debutants.
The contenders: Batuhan Karadeniz vs. Mustafa Hekimoğlu
Batuhan Karadeniz — a legendary young debut
One of the most famous early debutants for Beşiktaş is Batuhan Karadeniz. He made his Süper Lig debut in August 2007 against Kasımpaşa during the 2007–08 season at just 16 years and 115 days old. That made him one of the youngest-ever in the Turkish top flight, and by doing so for Besiktas, he claimed the club’s youngest league-appearance record at that time.
He even scored his first league goal for Beşiktaş only days later, further solidifying his status as a teenage wonderboy for the club.
Mustafa Erhan Hekimoğlu — rewriting the record
More recently, the spotlight has shifted to Mustafa Erhan Hekimoğlu, a rising forward from Beşiktaş’s youth system. Born 22 April 2007, Hekimoğlu made his first competitive appearance for the senior team on 9 January 2024, entering in a 0–4 defeat. At that point, he was approximately 16 years, 8 months, and 18 days old. Hekimoğlu now holds the distinction as the youngest player to play for Beşiktaş in a competitive match across all competitions.
The club list of debutants shows both names side by side:
- Batuhan Karadeniz: debut 19 August 2007 → 16 years, 3 months, 26 days
- Mustafa Hekimoğlu: debut 9 January 2024 → 16 years, 8 months, 18 days
Thus, Hekimoğlu overtakes Karadeniz only in the broader “all-competition” sense, because Karadeniz’s record stands in the Sü.
Deep dive: Hekimoğlu’s rise
Early life and academy years
Mustafa Erhan Hekimoğlu hails from Kağıthane, Istanbul, joined the Beşiktaş youth ranks in 2017. He steadily climbed through the ranks, impressing at U16 and U17 levels. In November 2022, at age 15, he signed his first professional contract, committing his future to the club.
Professional debut
On 14 December 2023, Hekimoğlu made his senior debut in a UECL (UEFA Europa Conference League) group match against Lugano. He was subbed on in the 61st minute, replacing an injured Jackson Muleka. At the time, he was just 16 years and about 7½ months old.
However, his first debut in the full competitive list (including league, cup and continental matches) is recorded as 9 January 2024, when he played in a 0–4 defeat, making him 16 years, 8 months, 18 days old.
First goal and rising status
Hekimoğlu’s first official goal for the senior team came in the Turkish Super Cup in August 2024, where Besiktas crushed rival Galatasaray 5–0. Entered late in the match, he made an instant impact by scoring the final goal.
His emergence has drawn comparisons with other talented graduates and expectations that he may become a future national team regular.
Comparison: Karadeniz vs Hekimoğlu
| Player | Date of Debut | Age at Debut | Competition | Notes |
| Batuhan Karadeniz | 19 Aug 2007 | 16y, 3m, 26d | Süper Lig | Old record for youngest league debut |
| Mustafa Erhan Hekimoğlu | 9 Jan 2024 | 16y, 8m, 18d | Competitive (all comps) | Currently holds title for youngest appearance in any official match for Besiktas |
Thus, while Karadeniz still retains the youngest-in–Sü, Hekimoğlu holds the broader club-wide “youngest player to play for Beşiktaş” distinction.
Beyond age: why clubs risk youth
Deploying teenage players onto the field comes with risks of inexperience and pressure. Yet clubs like Beşiktaş do it for several reasons:
- Identity & academy pride: Showcasing homegrown talents strengthens the bond with fans and underlines the club’s youth culture.
- Financial sense: Developing your own youngsters reduces reliance on expensive transfers.
- Psychological edge: Opponents may underestimate a young debutant; coaches might gain an element of surprise.
- Talent accelerated development: Early exposure to big games can fast-track maturity in top-level football.
Hekimoğlu’s rise aligns with this philosophy: the club is signalling it is ready to trust and promote young blood.
Other young debutants at Beşiktaş worth noting
While Hekimoğlu and Karadeniz stand at the top, the club’s history includes other notable teenage debutants:
- Atınç Nukan debuted at 16 years, 9 months, 17 days.
- Cumali Bişi and Serdar Özkan also made early appearances around 16–17 years old.
- More recently, stars like Semih Kılıçsoy and Emirhan İlkhan debuted around age 17.
These examples illustrate the continuity of Besiktas’s tradition of giving youth a chance.
What this record means for Hekimoğlu’s future
To hold a record like youngest player to play for Besiktas is a double-edged sword. It brings early recognition, but also heavy expectations. Hekimoğlu must navigate comparisons, pressure, and physical demands. His path will depend not just on talent, but on mentorship, game time management, and mental growth.
If he continues upward, he could be a central figure in both Besiktas’s future and the Turkish national team setup. But like many prodigies, his story will hinge on consistency.
Conclusion
In the debate over the youngest player to play for Beşiktaş, the crown now belongs to Mustafa Erhan Hekimoğlu, who made a competitive debut at just 16 years, 8 months, and 18 days. Though Batuhan Karadeniz still holds the record for the youngest Sü, Hekimoğlu’s broader debut across all competitions establishes a new milestone.
Now that you know who holds the record and how he got there, AnaGoal invites you to follow Hekimoğlu’s trajectory closely — will he become one of Turkey’s next legends? Stay tuned to our site for updates on his matches, stats, and comparisons with other rising stars.
