Al Shehhi feels honoured to earn UAE call-up

Abu Dhabi: No doubt, Mohammad Saeed Al Shehhi was the Best Young Footballer in the UAE this season.

He is the best not simply because he emerged the chosen one in the opinion polls conducted by the local sports media, but also because of the rich repertoire of talent that was on display from the Al Wahda player - be it in the Asian Champions League, the etisalat UAE First Division League or for that matter the UAE Olympic team - scoring vital goals and showing dazzling ball control.

It was only natural that Bruno Metsu, the UAE coach, closely followed the progress of the young striker and then invited him to join the UAE's training camp for the finals of the Asian Cup that begins next month.

"I'm happy to join my country's national team. Credit should go to the utmost care that Shaikh Saeed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of Al Wahda Club, took of all the players. That in turn helped me give off my best," Al Shehhi told Gulf News yesterday.

"I am also grateful to my family, especially to my father, for the continuous support and encouragement," he added.

Beyond expectation

"I did not expect to win the title of the Best Young Footballer because I did not start the season playing for the first team of Al Wahda. Moreover, there were several other good young players like Ahmad Mohammad Dada from Al Jazira, Amer Mubarak from Al Nasr and Ahmad Khamis from Fujairah.

"But I think that my goals for the club in the Asian Champions League and those scored for the UAE Olympic team helped draw the attention of the fans and the media and of course that of the technical staff of the national team.

"I feel honoured for being invited to join the national team because it includes the country's best players and I am confident that our team will do the country proud in the finals of the Asian Cup next month," he concluded.