Abu Dhabi: Talented young UAE footballers should think of following the examples of former Manchester United players Park Ji-sung and Shinji Kagawa by moving to Europe to try and further their careers and boost the game in their home country, Old Trafford legend Bryan Robson feels.
Though Kagawa had a difficult two-year stint at United he has performed excellently at Borussia Dortmund, while fans’ favourite Park won four Premier League titles in his seven-year spell at the Theatre of Dreams.
“Sometimes it’s a development and an encouragement for some of the younger players if you have a player who is very successful,” 59-year-old Robson, who is a club ambassador for United, for whom he made 345 appearances between 1981 and 1994, said at the Armed Forces Officers Club in Abu Dhabi(AFOC). “Just take [former Asian midfielders for United] Park Ji-sung and Shinji Kagawa. When these lads go to a big club in Europe and have success, what it does is encourage all the kids to try and achieve that and show they can play in the best leagues in the world.”
Robson, who is in the UAE as a United ambassador to promote shirt sponsors Chevrolet’s ‘Beautiful Possibilities’ programme inspiring special needs children to play football, added that he felt players such as Al Ain’s Omar Abdul Rahman could benefit from the challenge of moving abroad.
Abdul Rahman, 24, ostensibly closed the door on any foreign switch in February last year when he inked a new four-year contract with his club side.
However, Robson said: “If he [Omar] gets a great offer from a European team, maybe he should go and test his ability in that sort of level because it does encourage other countrymen.”
Robson’s sentiments echo those of another illustrious midfielder, Xavi Hernandez, who told Gulf News and other media last year: “It’s important for him [and] for the Arabic players and for the country [if they move to Europe] for it to be a competitive country in the future.
“Yes, it’s good for them [to move].”
