26 September 2023 , 06:00
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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has enjoyed an impressive start to life at Besiktas, scoring his first goal for the club over the weekend to seal a 2-1 victory over Kayserispor in front of a packed home crowd in Istanbul.
Oxlade-Chamberlain was one of several experienced players to leave Liverpool this summer, along with Jordan Henderson, Roberto Firmino, Fabinho, James Milner and Naby Keita. The 30-year-old spent six years at Anfield, helping the Reds win the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup.
However, Oxlade-Chamberlain's last three full seasons were blighted by injury, with the midfielder making just 39 league appearances having suffered a career-threatening knee injury back in 2018. After making just five starts for Liverpool last season, he was ready for a new challenge and told Mirror Football in May : "I still want success, I've had a taste of it here, they've been the best years ever.
"So, if by any chance, I can have another sniff of achieving anything like that again then I'd bite your hand off. I think I need to go and play somewhere as consistently as possible. They say you're coming into your peak at 29, so I want to go and test myself, play consistently somewhere.
"I'm still hungry, I still feel I have a lot of games left in me and a lot of energy left in me. I don't like to say a point to prove, but that's always been my attitude. From when I went to Arsenal, I felt like that.
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"When I went to Liverpool, that's how I felt. When I walked through the door, I felt like I needed to do that. It's the same again. To prove myself and to prove the people out there to show what I'm capable of still doing."
Oxlade-Chamberlain is looking to do just that at Besiktas, who last won the Turkish Super Lig in 2021, having joined the club on a three-year deal in August. He has made a promising start, with his goal against Kayserispor coming in just his second start.
It was a well-taken strike and completed an impressive comeback by Besiktas, who had gone 1-0 down thanks to a goal from Carlos Mane before Vincent Aboubakar scored the equaliser and Oxlade-Chamberlain netted the winner. The victory leaves Besiktas fourth in the league, five points behind Fenerbahce.
Taking to Instagram after the game, Oxlade-Chamberlain posted several snaps of him celebrating his goal with the caption: "Good win in the end and happy to get my first goal!" Among those congratulating him in the comments were former Liverpool team-mate Milner, who responded with two clapping hands emojis.
Tottenham playmaker James Maddison added: "Love it you", while Oxlade-Chamberlain's former Arsenal team-mate Kieran Gibbs simply wrote "Okay" with a smirking face emoji.