From becoming Turkey's record goal scorer and a much-loved forward, to driving taxis in the United States; the life of Hakan Sukur has been anything but ordinary.

Having spent the majority of his early years as a professional in Turkey, Sukur earned his big break when he secured a move to Serie A outfit Torino.

It didn't work out for him though, with a return to Galatasaray following that same year, with the striker spending a further five years with the Istanbul outfit.

He would have another spell in Italy at the turn of the millennium, joining Inter Milan and latterly Parma, before eventually penning a move to .

His stint with the Premier League side might've been short and sweet but he did enjoy some stunning cameos for Blackburn, with Sukur once again returning to Galatasaray where he saw out the rest of his career.

He certainly left his mark on the sport as a professional, but unlike most players who transition into a career as a coach or pundit post-football, Sukur instead became a cab driver, but only after a stint as a politician.

Confused? Well, you're not alone. Shortly after hanging up his boots, the former marksman won a seat in Turkey's Parliament as a member of Erdogan's Justice and Development Party.

However, complications arose when it was revealed the ex-Turkish international had ties to Fethullah Gulen - an opponent of Erdogan and the man blamed for the attempted coup of 2016.

He had left Turkey by then, but was described by Turkish state media as a "fugitive member of the Fetullah Terrorist Organisation (FETO)".

Sukur carved out a life for himself Stateside by becoming an Uber driver, with the one-time Prem ace reflecting on his new occupation and exile from Turkey during an interview with German outlet .

He said: "Once a passenger got into my car and said: 'I know you, I love you too, but I have to get out. I don't want anything to do with you.'

"And there's another interesting story: Before the coup attempt, I met a Turkish student who was here alone. I didn't know him, but we took a selfie. When he re-entered Turkey, they discovered the photo on his cell phone and put him in prison for 14 months.

"The government does things like that on purpose, they're trying to make us forget. They want to wipe us out."

Sukur made over 700 senior appearances during his time as a pro, scoring 327 goals and still holds the all-time record for the most scored by any Turkish international.