Former Turkish international footballer Ersen Martin has passed away at the age of 44.

Martin had spells at some of Turkey’s most prominent clubs, including Besiktas and Trabzonspor having come through the ranks as a striker at the academy of German club Nuremberg. 

After retiring in 2013, Martin is thought to have suffered a ruptured aorta – the vessel that carries blood from the heart to the abdomen – in 2022 that left him hospitalised at Istanbul Siyami Ersek Heart Hospital, the player receiving treatment for some time before passing away. 

Reports from Turkey indicate that he was last intubated in hospital on March 10, before his death in hospital. 

Former Turkey international Ersen Martin (left) has passed away following a long spell in hospital 

Martin was hospitalised in 2022 after suffering an aortic rupture and was left fighting for his life

The striker was on the books at 13 different clubs over the course of his career before retiring in 2013

He had been under the care of Koksal Haloglu, CEO of a hospital facility in Bursa since the initial aortic rupture left him fighting for his life, Turkish outlets have reported.  

However the monthly costs of the facility are thought to have been very high, with outlet Fanatik claiming that the player’s family had reached out for help with covering the fees. 

The publication also writes that neither the Turkish Football Federation, the Turkish Professional Footballers’ Association nor a number of the former player’s ex-team-mates offered financial support. 

An article written in 2023 includes detail of an anonymous close friend who said: ‘We support as much as we can, but only up to a certain point… We expect at least his former clubs to lend a helping hand.’ 

A number of Martin’s former clubs have taken to social media to share their grief at the news of his passing, with Besiktas writing: ‘We have learned with deep sadness that our former football player Ersen Martin has passed away.

‘May God have mercy on Ersen Martin, we offer our condolences to his family, relatives and the Turkish sports community.’

Fellow ex-club Trabzonspor offered a similar statement: ‘We have learned with deep sadness the news that our former football player Ersen Martin has passed away. May God have mercy on Ersen Martin who lost his life; We offer our condolences to his family, loved ones and community.’

Though the player never featured for Galatasaray, he had an affiliation with the team’s head coach Okan Buruk from their time together in the national set-up. 

Buruk had spent time with Martin at matches and chatted with him following his aortic rupture in 2022, and the club wrote: ‘We have learned with deep sadness the news of the death of former national football player Ersen Martin. 

Martin was under the care of Koksal Haloglu, CEO of a hospital facility in Bursa after the initial aortic rupture left him fighting for his life

Martin was also on the books at Spanish outfit Huelva where he scored four goals in 27 games

‘May God have mercy on Ersen Martin, and we offer our condolences to his grieving family, loved ones and the Turkish football community.’ 

Sivasspor – where Martin featured for 14 games – took the opportunity to re-live one of his greatest moments in their colours, posting his sole goal for the club on X, formerly Twitter. 

And there was a tribute from Turkey’s the Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Askin Bak, who said, ‘I learned with great sadness the death of Ersen Martin, the popular name of our country’s football and who also played for our national team.’

In total Martin’s career ended having featured for 13 different clubs, including Huelva in Spain, and scored 101 goals and gave 28 assists in 375 games, as well as his three outings for the national side.