COLIN KAZIM-RICHARDS has had an astonishing journeyman career, though he holds a unique accolade among his peers.
Kazım-Richards, 37, has played for 18 different clubs in eight countries throughout his almost two-decade career.
But his first senior transfer saw the London-born Turkish international involved in one of the strangest transfer deals in memory.
In 2005, Kazım-Richards was playing his football with Bury after joining the club from Arsenal’s academy a few years prior.
A transfer battle ensued between Brighton and Wigan over his signature, with the Latics set to trump the Seagulls due to the price they were willing to pay.
However, at the same time, Coca-Cola – worth a staggering £190billion today – were running a competition for fans to win some money as part of a new sponsorship they had with the EFL.
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Any supporter buying a can of Coke, which now showed the colours of every EFL club rather than the typical red and white scheme, could enter a draw with the chance to win £250,000 for their lucky club.
Speaking on the Filthy Fellas podcast, Kazim-Richards explained how his future that summer changed due to a lucky pull from Brighton fan Aaron Berry, who entered the competition nearly 80 times.
He said: “So how it worked is… when you brought a can of Coke there was a [phone] number to call to see if you win money for your club.
“Brighton fan won the money – Brighton already wanted me, I was already talking [to them]. I was supposed to go to Wigan.
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“Brighton couldn’t match the transfer fee Bury wanted. Then they won this money so they did that (brought me).
“It was a better story to say a fan brought me.”
From then 18-year-old Kazim-Richards was forever dubbed: “The Coca-Cola kid.”
Kazim-Richards left the Seagulls for Neil Warnock’s Sheffield United just one season later after they were relegated to the third tier, having scored six goals in 44 appearances that season.
He struggled to adjust to the Premier League at Bramall Lane before Fenerbache came calling for his services.
Despite his merry-go-round clubs, Kazim-Richards represented Turkey on 37 occasions including the 2008 Euros when they made it to the semi-finals.
After a long stint overseas which reached as far as Brazil and Mexico, Kazim-Richards returned to English football with Derby in 2020 before heading back to Turkey two years later.
He is currently without a club.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
