PSV Eindhoven, which has one of the best youth development programmes in the world, were impressed with the performance of Malaysian defender Mohd Asraruddin Putra Omar during the Champions Youth Cup.
They liked the player so much that they are offering him the opportunity to attend a two-week stint at the club with the intention of joining the club’s youth programme. “We saw player No. 3 (Asraruddin) play against us and the match before and we came away impressed,” said PSV coach Peter Dekkers.
“We would like to take him to PSV for a few weeks and see more of him in action,” added the coach. “We have spoken to Jonathan Price (Chairman of the Gifted Group) to assist us in getting the player to PSV as soon as possible.”
“We are delighted a leading club like PSV Eindhoven is prepared to give this opportunity to a young Malaysian player. I hope that this will be the first of many opportunities that will arise for Malaysians to play at the top level. We will work closely with the relevant parties here including the Ministry and the FAM to expedite the player’s trip to the club and we would be delighted to cover the cost of that trip.”
Apart from impressing Dekkers, Asraruddin also caught the attention of PSV’s International Scout, Piet de Visser. “He is a good captain and has a good left foot. He is very strong, fast and has good passing skills.”
“Many defenders just defend well but are unable to create moves, this boy can do both very well,” said de Visser, who travels throughout the world in search of bright young talents. “We look forward to having him at PSV.”
His height, strength and high work-rate make Asraruddin a commanding player and itÂ’s no surprise that he has secured a regular place in the senior Selangor squad.
Over the years, Malaysian players have undergone training stints and attended trials in Europe but always with clubs from the lower divisions.
This is the first time a Malaysian player has been called up by a leading European club, hopefully this will mark the beginning of a new era in the nationÂ’s football.
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