| Veli Kavlak | |
| Full Name: | Veli Kavlak[1] |
| Birth Date: | 3 November 1988 |
| Birth Place: | Vienna, Austria |
| Height: | 1.79 m[2] |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Youthclubs1: | SK Slovan HAC |
| Youthyears2: | 2003–2004 |
| Youthclubs2: | Rapid Wien |
| Years1: | 2004–2011 |
| Clubs1: | Rapid Wien |
| Caps1: | 146 |
| Goals1: | 13 |
| Years2: | 2011–2018 |
| Clubs2: | Beşiktaş |
| Caps2: | 115 |
| Goals2: | 6 |
| Totalcaps: | 261 |
| Totalgoals: | 19 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2005–2006 |
| Nationalteam1: | Austria U19 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 4 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2006–2007 |
| Nationalteam2: | Austria U20 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 7 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Nationalyears3: | 2007–2010 |
| Nationalteam3: | Austria U21 |
| Nationalcaps3: | 18 |
| Nationalgoals3: | 1 |
| Nationalyears4: | 2007–2014 |
| Nationalteam4: | Austria |
| Nationalcaps4: | 31 |
| Nationalgoals4: | 1 |
Veli Kavlak (born 3 November 1988) is an Austrian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Rapid Wien and Turkish club Beşiktaş. He made 31 appearances for the Austria at international level scoring one goal.
On 15 August 2012 he scored against his parents' home country Turkey playing for Austria in the 3rd minute. Austria went on to win that game 2–0.
Kavlak is a defensive box-to-box midfielder. At club level, he is deployed in the holding role and is key in midfield with his tireless running and endless stamina. He is also a hardworking leader and although not being known for unsportsmanlike acts, he is known to be a hatchet man in midfield. Kavlak is often accompanied by another more offensive central midfielder such as Manuel Fernandes and Oğuzhan Özyakup. At international level, however, he has most prominently featured in a more advanced position in front of a holding midfielder.
Veli Kavlak was born to Turkish parents.[3] He also holds Turkish citizenship.[4] He speaks Turkish fluently.
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Rapid Wien | 2004–05 | Austrian Bundesliga | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2005–06 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 2 | |||
| 2006–07 | 29 | 3 | 1 | 0 | – | 30 | 3 | ||||
| 2007–08 | 27 | 2 | 4 | 1 | – | 31 | 3 | ||||
| 2008–09 | 29 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 5 | |||
| 2009–10 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 33 | 2 | |||
| 2010–11 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 34 | 1 | |||
| Total | 146 | 13 | 15 | 2 | 20 | 1 | 181 | 16 | |||
| Beşiktaş | 2011–12 | Super Lig | 33 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 45 | 2 | |
| 2012–13 | 30 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1 | |||
| 2013–14 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 3 | |||
| 2014–15 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 35 | 2 | |||
| 2015–16 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |||
| 2016–17 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2017–18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 115 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 25 | 0 | 152 | 7 | |||
| Career total | 261 | 19 | 27 | 3 | 45 | 1 | 333 | 23 | |||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 2007 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2009 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2010 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2011 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2012 | 7 | 1 | ||
| 2013 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2014 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 31 | 1 | ||
Scores and results list Austria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kavlak goal.
Rapid Wien
Beşiktaş