Nathan Redmond is ready to step out of his comfort zone and revel in Besiktas’ ferocious atmosphere

Rumblings on the banks of the Bosphorus take hold and roll around Vodafone Park, the historic home of Beşiktaş, nestled into its natural amphitheatre created by slopes rising steeply towards Taksim Square.

Up goes the ferocious noise, strangely out of keeping with its setting beside Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace and the glittering sea. They measured decibel levels of 132 here in 2007, some kind of world record at a football match and probably not good for the ears.

The entire place starts to shake. This is a regular Monday night fixture, early in the season, broadcast live on TV and still jammed with more than 40,000, every single one of them seemingly jumping on the spot and contributing to the din.

Nathan Redmond arrived at Besiktas in order to find a ‘fresh challenge’ abroad

For Nathan Redmond on his Beşiktaş debut it was something to behold. ‘It was my first time in that sort of atmosphere,’ he told Sportsmail. ‘I’ve been away with England a few times, especially in younger age groups and experienced hostile atmospheres but this was something else.

‘From the warm-up, we came out and it was nearly full. Non-stop singing, ear-piercing whistling when the opposition have the ball. I nearly went deaf at one point.’

Turkish football thrives on its tribalism. ‘The best atmosphere in European football bar none, with apologies to the Premier League,’ smiled a Beşiktaş official by way of a welcome as he led the way past riot police and two rings of security and into the concrete depths of the stadium, flanked by menacing murals of black eagles and thunderclouds.

Redmond came off the bench to show glimpses of his talent in a 1-0 loss to Istanbul Basaksehir

For Redmond and Dele Alli, two England internationals who have signed this summer, it is part of the attraction.

Alli was quick to enthuse about the positive energy of the fans when he signed last month. ‘The feeling has been amazing,’ he said. ‘The passion around the place is amazing. Hopefully, I can entertain and bring a lot of success here.’

The charms of Istanbul have been enchanting visitors for centuries even if this represents a step into the unknown for both.

‘It’s a chance to step out of my comfort zone,’ said Redmond, encouraged by a chance encounter with David Beckham at the airport before flying to Turkey. ‘We talked, and he said some of the best memories of his career came playing abroad.

Redmond left Southampton after six years, signing a one-year deal at the Turkish club

‘That gave me confidence in the move. It would have been easy to stay in England somehow but I needed a fresh challenge. My family were supportive, up for a new experience and when I spoke to Dele he really sold Beşiktaş to me.

‘He was probably in a similar position to me. Looking outside England to enjoy a fresh start and something different and learn something new. I’m looking forward to learning about this great city and its culture, and what makes people fall in love with this club.’

Dele Alli was quick to remark on the passion of the fans and the club’s atmosphere

Beşiktaş has a rich tradition of English influence, including seven glorious years when Gordon Milne was in charge from 1987. Milne, a former Liverpool midfielder and England international, signed players such as Les Ferdinand, Ian Wilson and Alan Walsh and won three league titles in a row, going unbeaten in 1990/91.

New boss Valerien Ismael is creating another British enclave at the eastern edge of Europe. Beyond Alli and Redmond, there is assistant manager Adam Murray, a veteran midfielder of the lower leagues who coached with Ismael at Barnsley and West Bromwich Albion, and first-team coach Dean Whitehead, formerly of Sunderland and Stoke among others.

There are British analysts and fitness coaches on the staff and a total of nine of players with Premier League experience, including familiar names from last season such as Romain Saiss, Arthur Masuaku and Wout Weghorst. There is also Georges-Kevin N’Koudou, a Cameroonian winger who played with Alli at Spurs.

They have quickly been dubbed Turkey’s Premier League team.

Redmond signed a one-year deal last week on Turkey’s transfer deadline and his debut from the bench offered enough glimpses of his flair to defy his apprehension about match sharpness because of the weeks without a competitive game and days spent training alone before completing his move.

Valerien Ismael played briefly for Crystal Palace before managing Barnsley and West Brom

He could not stop Beşiktaş losing 1-0 to Istanbul Basaksehir, their first defeat of the season, which disintegrated into a chaotic finale as Ismael was red-carded amid a flurry of yellows in the closing stages, but the home crowd chanted Redmond’s name at the end.

After the rigid structure of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s high-octane press at Southampton, he is sure to relish the freedom of his new role, playing as an old-style winger in a competition where he can expect more space and time on the ball.

‘I think I can have a bit of fun here,’ agreed the 28-year-old. ‘Hopefully when Dele’s fit we can have some fun together.’

Redmond has already iterated his hopes to have fun with Dele (far right) on the pitch together

Alli, who missed Monday’s game with a minor injury, has already captured the imagination of the fans after his loan switch from Everton, with a cheeky unveiling on social media starring cartoon characters Rick and Morty and a goal in his second game, against Ankaragucu.

‘It is such an exciting transfer,’ explained Koray Durkal, a football reporter for newspaper Hurriyet. ‘It brings excitement to the stands, not only Beşiktaş fans. He is the most discussed player on social media. He’s had a few bad seasons but he’s only 26 and we have seen players rise again in Beşiktaş.’

Perhaps the best example is Mario Gomez, who signed at the age of 30, on loan from Fiorentina and scored 26 goals in 33 games to earn a recall to the Germany team and lead their attack at Euro 2016.

The volume at Besiktas’ home Vodafone Park was once registered as 132-decibels

‘Dele can do the same,’ said Durkal. ‘Beşiktaş need creativity and he can provide it when he is fully fit. He can be the missing piece of the puzzle. Beşiktaş can be his new Tottenham and Ismael can be his new Pochettino.

‘His quality and intelligence are clear. He has adapted quickly to the team and there will be times when he is better. Everyone will expect him to make a difference on the pitch in the Fenerbahçe derby.’

Beşiktaş will host the Fenerbahçe derby in their first game back after the international break. It will be intense and it will be fiercely tribal. It will be loud. It will be marked in the diaries for Redmond and Alli.