Wilfred Ndidi Named Besiktas Vice-Captain As Yalçın Reshuffles Leadership Roles

Wilfred Ndidi Named Besiktas Vice-Captain As Yalçın Reshuffles Leadership Roles

Besiktas manager Sergen Yalçın has confirmed that Turkish midfielder Orkun Kökçü will serve as the team’s first captain, while Super Eagles star Wilfred Ndidi has been appointed as the new vice-captain — replacing long-time leaders Mert Günok and Necip Uysal.

Speaking on the decision, Yalçın explained his reasoning behind the leadership reshuffle, emphasizing the importance of developing captains who can lead from the field.

“Necip and Mert are already the oldest in the team,” Yalçın said, as reported by Fotomac.
“Having a goalkeeper as captain is a bit problematic. Mert is a goalkeeper, and he gets booked when he goes out of bounds. We decided to develop the captains from within.”

Ndidi, who joined the Turkish giants this summer after eight successful years at Leicester City, has quickly become a key figure in the squad. His consistency, tactical intelligence, and leadership qualities have made him a natural choice for the deputy role.

The 28-year-old midfielder has impressed fans and analysts alike with his strong defensive performances and composure in possession. In the Turkish Super Lig, Ndidi currently averages 1.4 tackles, 1.8 interceptions, and 2.8 clearances per game, underlining his influence in breaking up play and driving the team forward.

Having previously captained both Leicester City and Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Ndidi is no stranger to leadership responsibility. His presence brings balance and discipline to the Besiktas midfield — attributes that Yalçın appears keen to reward.

Besiktas will be looking to bounce back from their recent 2-1 home defeat to Gençlerbirliği as they prepare to face Konyaspor this weekend. Fans will be eager to see how Ndidi and Kökçü guide the team through this new chapter under Yalçın’s leadership.