Khamis has predatory instincts

Dubai: Khamis Ismail has seen his career take off in a very short span of time, rising from the fringes of the Al Jazira squad to become an integral part of both club and country this season. And as the 22-year-old tells XPRESS on the sidelines of the launch of the new adidas Predator lethal Zones, playing in the London Olympic Games against the likes of David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and Luis Suarez will just be the icing on the cake.

“These players are legends of the game. Ahead of the game the feeling will be of pride and excitement,” he said.

“It will be a special moment to be involved in a game with David Beckham, also an adidas Predator player. But when the match starts we will be focused on our game and playing to the best of our abilities rather than watching the opposition play. It’s important we show respect but not be intimated by the occasion. In sport you have to seize the moment and this will be our chance,” he added.

The UAE are grouped with Uruguay, Great Britain and Senegal and Khamis is aware of the difficulties of their campaign.

“When playing at this level there will be no easy game but it’s a huge opportunity for us to perform. When on the international stage you want to play against the best countries and the best players in the world so we’re all looking forward to playing and embracing the Olympic spirit of London 2012. What a stage to unleash some deadly combinations,” he said.

Khamis also believes the presence of star player and veteran Esmail Mattar will make a big difference.

“Esmail is incredibly important as he has not only a wealth of talent but also the experience at the highest level that we can all learn from. He’s a natural leader and will gel well with the rest of the team,” he said.

The Al Jazira midfielder is known for his great first touch and believes in making every touch count.

“It is an aspect of my game that as I’ve always worked on as I know that I will also need instant control from my first touch when playing against world-class players. All the great players had fantastic feel for the ball such Zinedine Zidane, also a Predator player.

“The new lethal Zones certainly help though. adidas learnt through research that modern players are on the ball for a maximum of 90 seconds during a 90 minute match, so I’ll continue to work at it to make every touch count,” he said.