Omar Abdul Rahman happy to wait on Europe move

Dubai: The UAE and Al Ain star Omar Abdul Rahman is waiting for the right moment to make a move to European football, but insists he is happy to stay put for now.

“I still have two years on my contract with Al Ain Club. So for sure I will stay with Al Ain until I finish my contract,” Abdul Rahman told media after being named official ambassador for the Fifa U-17 World Cup UAE 2013.

Abdul Rahman was one of the key players in Al Ain’s record eleventh title in the UAE Pro-League this season. “It has been a great season for Al Ain and I am happy with that. But I am definitely looking outside the UAE, most likely anywhere in Europe to play my football,” Abdul Rahman said.

Until something concrete does comes along, the star playmaker would rather stay put. “If something comes along then I would definitely go [to Europe],” he added.

Last month, the UAE Gulf Cup-winning coach Mahdi Ali warned the player of January’s Bahrain tournament not to rush into a European transfer this summer, in the latest round of rhetoric that suggests the Al Ain midfielder might stay.

Abdul Rahman, 21, has been linked with a string of European clubs following his golden ball-winning performance in January. This follows his starring role in the UAE’s debut appearance at an Olympic football finals in London last summer, which earned him a two-week trial with English side Manchester City.

While work permit requirements were alleged to have put that move on hold, Abdul Rahman could still fulfil visa criteria in other European leagues, but solid offers are yet to have been made.

Ali said: “Omar has the talent and ability to play in Europe, but I hope he doesn’t take the fast route. I hope he does it in stages.

“It’s not only a matter of football, but it’s also a social thing. His language and social life will all be different from what he’s used to. He would have to digest how to live in a certain condition, where the temperatures and environment are all different.”