Dubai: Al Ahli's best-known weapon Faisal Khalil fears nothing - not even the immense pressure of expectations - as he hopes to lead his team to an historic second double this season.
"Pressure has been something that has been part of my life for a long, long time," Khalil told Gulf News as he missed Tuesday's training session to recuperate from a minor niggle.
"I've always felt the pressure, be it with the national team or with Al Ahli. But I have learnt my lessons and gone about dealing with it in a realistic way," Khalil said.
Aborted move
The quick-footed striker has been one of the mainstays for his club and country in recent years.
Ever since an aborted shift to play in France two seasons ago, Khalil has come in handy on more than one occasion for the UAE and Al Ahli.
"When you are in a pressure situation all the time, you have no choice. You have to adapt and show your character as a person and then as a player," Khalil said.
"It's a continuous learning process and I am glad that I have the right backing from all concerned, starting with my teammates, to go about dealing with the pressure in the right manner," the 25-year-old striker said. Perhaps one of the main aspects of dealing with pressure lies in the secret of putting the team first.
"And I do exactly that," Khalil said.
"This is Faisal Khalil, and I am not more important than the team. I realise that I am only one of the 11 on the field, and my job is to score goals."
'Winning mentality'
He feels privileged to be part of the current squad that he feels has a "winning mentality".
"We are all here to help each other. This is not just about Faisal Khalil, it is about my teammates and all our hard work put together. I feel so happy to be with such quality players. They sustain me up front and they support me even when things are not going my way," Khalil said.
Of Al Ahli's remaining five games, four will be played at home and one is away to Al Nasr.
"Definitely, expectations are high when we play at home. But it is left up to us as individuals and a group on how we deal with this pressure," Khalil said.
"We have a team that has quality and depth. It is not just me scoring goals, any of our other players are capable of scoring and winning matches.
"It makes a huge difference to have a team attitude. It helps you grow and strive for things that are far beyond petty. I am what I am because of my teammates.
"We are lucky to have everything stacked in our favour. Now is the time for us to exploit our good fortune and achieve something that is both historic and out of reach for anyone in the UAE [achieving the double twice]," he added.
Factfile
- Name: Faisal Khalil Subait Mubarak
- Date of birth: December 4, 1982
- Age: 25 years
- Place of birth: Dubai
- Height: 1.70 metres
- Started career: 1999 with Al Ahli
- Major achievements:
2002 and 2004: President's Cup [with Al Ahli]
2006: UAE League title [with Al Ahli]
2007: Gulf Cup with UAE team
