PLAYER BIO
Rustu has been firmly established as the Turkish No.1 for the best part of a decade and is a certain starter in the World Cup.
Played a major role in the qualifying campaign as he started all 12 games as his nation reached the finals via against play-off against Austria and he kept an impressive total of seven clean sheets along the way.
He has rarely let his country down in claiming well over 60 caps and the Turks regard him as one of the best stoppers in the game.
PLAYER FEATURE
Rustu Recber first played for Turkey's national side in 1993, at the tender age of 20 and within a year had eased Engin Ipekoglu out of the No.1 jersey.
In the nine years since then no-one else has had a look-in, and no-one else has even been seriously considered a challenger.
The tall, serious-minded Rustu has no real rivals in a country that has rarely produced keepers of international class and where big clubs prefer to buy in foreign experience rather than train local talent.
"In Rustu, Turkey has finally found a good keeper of world class standard," says commentator Hincal Uluc.
Rustu conceded eight goals in Turkey's World Cup qualification campaign and produced a string of fine saves against Slovakia and Moldova that were crucial to Turkey's progress.
He is also widely credited with winning the league title last season for Fenerbahce, where he has served since 1994, when he was bought from Antalyaspor.
But three years ago things were not so sweet.
Fenerbahce fans pulled open the doors of Rustu's car and kicked and punched him after an embarrassing 2-1 loss against second division Pendikspor.
"I want to quit football," Rustu said at the time.
He no longer wants to quit soccer, but he has often talked about moving abroad since the attack and during the build-up to the finals he was linked with a move to possibly England or Germany.
The World Cup could be his chance to shine in world soccer's biggest shop window.
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