Rashid Essa has warned rivals in the Arabian Gulf League to be wary of Al Ain.
On the comeback trail, Essa is confident his new team has the quality to make a domestic clean sweep this season and triumph in Asia as well.
Essa, 23, moved to the Garden City during the summer on a one-year loan from Al Wasl after a long injury lay-off, and he is clearly impressed with what he has seen at Al Ain.
“I understand every club has the same ambitions as we do, but the atmosphere created by the management and the support we enjoy from our fans clearly gives our confidence a massive boost and increases our motivation to go out and achieve our goals,” Essa said on the Al Ain website. “Another important factor is the management’s decision to strengthen the team with elements who can make a difference on the field.
“Al Ain own quality players across the pitch, not just the starting XI but on the bench as well. That, as we know, is critical in football.
“So I believe we are going to be at the forefront in every competition. The atmosphere is ripe for us to compete for all the titles.”
Al Ain are in a training camp at Leoben, Austria, preparing for their Asian Champions League quarter-final against the Saudi club Al Ittihad. They will play the first leg at home on August 19 before travelling to Jeddah for the second leg on August 26.
The President’s Cup champions will then usher in the new domestic season with the Super Cup clash against AGL champions Al Ahli at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in the capital on September 12.
Essa is hoping to play a crucial part in those three matches and the season ahead. His aim is to put himself in the reckoning for a place in the national team and hopefully book a spot for the trips to November’s Gulf Cup in Saudi Arabia and the Asian Cup, in Australia two months later.
A regular member of Mahdi Ali’s teams through the years, from the juniors to the 2012 London Olympics where he scored against Great Britain at Wembley Stadium, Essa has been sidelined for almost two seasons with injuries and has had two surgeries.
His move to Al Ain is motivated by his desire to recover his spot in the national team. Essa still calls Wasl his “home”, but he said playing for Al Ain alongside other national team players Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Ahmed, Mohammed Fawzi, Ismail Ahmed and Khaled Essa, gives him a better chance of getting picked for national duty.
“After the two surgeries, it was necessary for me to search for a new challenge, a big club that could help me build my confidence,” he said.
“I had many options, but the attention that I received from Al Ain over the past two seasons led me to their ranks.
“I discussed the offers I had with my brother Nasser [his manager, as well] and my family, and they were all convinced Al Ain was the best option for several reasons, especially for the interest they had shown in me.
“As a player, it is important to feel that confidence from the management.
“Their professionalism and the attention they show towards each of their players, and also the fact that Al Ain will be competing for all major titles this season, were also big factors and I am confident I have made the right decision.”
arizvi@thenational.ae
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