Turkey’s football legend, Hakan Sukur, who played as a striker for Inter Milan, Torino, Blackburn, and Galatasaray, has revealed that he is now driving for Uber in the United States after being exiled from Turkey.

The 48-year-old secured a total of 14 major titles and netted 383 goals throughout his club career, as well as achieving the fastest goal ever in a World Cup, in 2002. However, his life took a dramatic turn after retirement as he entered politics and was elected as an Istanbul MP for the Justice and Development Party.

Subsequently, he resigned from the party in December 2013 and served as an independent after experiencing a bitter falling out with Turkish President Recep Erdogan.

Sukur is wanted for arrest in Turkey since August 2016 for being a member of the Gülen movement and resides in exile in the United States.

In a recent interview with German publication Welt am Sonntag, Sukur revealed the hardship he faced after President Erdogan accused him of participating in a failed coup.

‘I have nothing left; Erdogan took everything: my right to liberty, freedom of expression, and right to work,’ said Sukur.

‘Nobody seems able to explain what my role in this coup was supposed to be. I never did anything illegal, I am not a traitor or a terrorist.’

‘I might be an enemy [of] this government, but not the state or the Turkish nation. I love my country. After the split with Erdogan, I started to receive threats. My wife’s shop was attacked, my children were harassed, my father put in prison, and all my assets confiscated.’

‘So I moved to the United States, initially running a cafe in California, but strange people kept coming into the bar. Now I drive for Uber and I sell books.’