“There’s bound to be a really talented player, but it’s whether they [UAE players] want to come out for the football and the glory, because obviously they are so well looked after in their own country that it would be difficult, perhaps, to break away and come and play in Europe,” said Sam Allardyce, West Ham manager.

“The mentality can be challenging because players here [in the UAE] don’t have dreams and ambitions to go and play in European leagues,” said Lucas O’Neill, former Australia captain.

The above soundbytes, over a period of the last two years, put into perspective the growing call for the current generation of UAE footballers to break the barriers and test themselves in a more challenging environment. Something that’s likely to pop up again in the light of the Whites’ memorable campaign in the Asian Cup, which ends on Friday.

For the record, it would be nice if they can finish third in the continental showpiece, but coach Mahdi Ali’s target of a top-four finish has already been achieved. From the depths of despair, when the senior UAE team had failed to have a crack at qualification for the 2014 World Cup, the current crop have given the country’s football fans a sense of pride and something to look forward to.

The next logical goal for Ali’s boys would certainly be gunning for a berth in the 2018 World Cup, a mission impossible of sorts, but certainly worth a try. There is still a gap to be breached in terms of tactical nous and physical prowess, and this can only come for the players via a grilling in a superior league.

Until now, no Emirati has played in the first XI for a club in a top European league — with the player coming closest to it being Hamdan Al Kamali. The Al Wahda defender had an unsuccessful loan spell with French club Lyon but, much to his credit, Al Kamali had chosen to give it a go.

A buzz began doing the rounds about Omar Abdul Rahman, the frizzy-haired, gifted playmaker, ever since he held his own against powerful rivals in the London Olympics in 2012. If the rumours started after a trial with Manchester City, clubs like Arsenal, Benfica and finally Liverpool have been linked with him in turns, until the murmurs stopped some time back.

The media interest about ‘Amoory’, as Omar is nicknamed, had been extraordinary during the Asian Cup and it could well be possible that the scouts have also cast an eye on Ali Mabkhout, who has been in prolific goal scoring form during the event. The duo are nearing 25 and at the peak of their prowess now, so it certainly would be a good idea for them to try and take their skill sets to the next level.

Meanwhile, the team deserves a big round of applause for a stirring show Down Under!