Meet Ali Saleh, the Dubai Footballer who would be king

Gulf News

See more at:  https:/gulfnews.com/videos https://gulfnews.com/sport  When he was in his early teens, Ali Saleh was benched for a full season by his coach at Al Wasl. The prodigious 13-year-old never understood such treatment and was ready to give up playing football altogether.   His dad Saleh convinced the youngster to stay. Two years later and a day after his 15th birthday, Ali made his debut against Al Ain to enter the history books of UAE football as the youngest-ever to play in a senior club squad. Latest news from the UAE and around the world brought to you by Gulf News.   #Football #AliSaleh #Superstar

Transcript

00:00It's just very surreal to me. It's obviously a very happy moment for me and my career.

00:06But it's more of an honour just to be nominated even for the award,

00:11along with my two other teammates in the national team.

00:14They're just amazing players and it didn't matter to us who won.

00:19We're just very happy.

00:21I mean, it's always been a dream and something that every football player, I think,

00:27really looks forward to in winning awards, whether it's personal achievements or team achievements.

00:32And I feel like I'm very happy with the award.

00:37This award is more of like motivation to make me work harder and better myself,

00:43not just as a player, but as a person as well.

00:46I started playing football, like, ever since I can remember.

00:49And I went to Al-Wasal Club when I was six, seven years old.

00:53It was a very young age.

00:56I've been playing, you know, all around non-stop since then.

01:01And I've reached where I am today because of my perseverance and my continuity of playing football.

01:09My family is very supportive of me and my football goals and things I want to achieve.

01:16My dad's even been the one who's taken me to training ever since I was a kid.

01:21But now I drive, so it's fine.

01:23But, like, as a kid, yeah, my dad was there every day to take me.

01:26I feel like football has really, like, changed my life for the better.

01:30I'm able to, like, help my family in ways that I couldn't do before.

01:36You know, I'm, like, more financially stable for sure.

01:40And, like, it's, like, me bettering not only my future, but I think people I care about's future as well,

01:45which is very important to me.

01:47For me personally, I feel like it's a big honor to represent the country

01:51and to represent the national team in, like, tournaments is always something that's very challenging,

01:58but also makes me, like, eager to play.

02:01I, like, really want to, like, win something or, like, challenge the other countries and do our best, really.

02:08To qualify for the World Cup was a dream on its own.

02:12And, like, for me, like, I feel like we can do better than just qualify.

02:16We can actually, like, reach, like, a pretty good stage in the World Cup,

02:21which is something that's important for the UAE.

02:24There's really, there are really, really amazing players.

02:27Like, we have Khalifan Mubarak from Al-Jazeera, who's just, like, a top player.

02:31Omar Abdur-Rahman, obviously, like, if he recovers from his injuries,

02:35is one of the best players, like, in UAE's history, in my opinion.

02:40Ali Mabkhout, all these guys, they're just, like, amazing football players, all-around football players.

02:45I would like to see myself, you know, just doing the best I can, you know,

02:51at club level and at myself and also at my national team level.

02:57I just want to be winning trophies, whether it's individual or team trophies.

03:01And that's what I hope to do in the next five years.

03:03Playing abroad is, like, something that I think if the opportunity came,

03:09that I would take under serious consideration.

03:12Because I think that's, like, a step into, like, stardom.

03:18And, like, a step really in the right direction.

03:20First of all, don't give up.

03:21Because, you know, there's a time where you're going to feel like you want to give up.

03:25Like, for me, it was when I was 13.

03:27I was just benched, not played for an entire year.

03:31And then, like, two years after, I made it to the first team,

03:34and I was, like, the youngest player ever to play a professional game in the UAE's history.

03:39So I would say, like, don't give up.

03:41Because when I was at that stage of my life and my career, I was just ready to give up.

03:46And it was my dad, really, who pushed me and told me to continue.

03:49And that's, like, how I got to where I am now.

03:52So, yeah, don't give up.

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