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Al Jazira and UAE goalkeeper Khaled Essa believes he needs to leave the Abu Dhabi club if he is to become his country’s No1.
Essa is behind Ali Khaseif in the pecking order for both club and country and will be on the bench for the national team’s Asian Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan on Friday.
The 23-year-old’s Jazira contract expires in the summer and there are a number of Pro League clubs interested in his services, including Al Ahli and champions Al Ain.
Bani Yas have already had one bid for the keeper turned down and Essa knows that with Khaseif in front of him his future lies away from the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium.
“This is the life. Okay maybe for more than 10 years I have trained with Al Jazira, I love Al Jazira, but if Khaled Essa wants to be No1 in the UAE he must move,” Essa told Sport360°.
“I am not unhappy. I am the same as Ali, I think I am the same level, but what is different is maybe Ali is more experienced. He has played more in the first-team now maybe eight years, I have played only four years.
“It’s like this, Ali is the No1 goalkeeper for Al Jazira and the national team so I have to move if I want to be No1.”
Khaseif is not keen to lose the competition Essa brings though. “For Essa, it’s better he goes, but for me I want him to stay, I want also for Khaled Al Sinani to stay because I have a challenge,” he said. “When I have a very strong goalkeeper behind me I become fortunate. I like the challenge.”
Essa’s goalkeeping coach at Jazira, David Coles, suggested the stopper is good enough to look beyond the UAE and consider a move to Europe.
Asked about Essa’s future Coles said: “That’s down to Essa and it’s down to the club and various things that happen. Me, I’d love to keep Essa here but I understand that Essa has a burning ambition to play and when I look at him I actually think he can play in Europe.
“When I look at small goalkeepers like Iker Casillas and Victor Valdes – even Antti Niemi wasn’t big – Essa has that edge to him that he’s very ambitious.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future all I know is I have two fantastic keepers here, which is testament to the club. How long that will remain I don’t know.”
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