Promiseland beckons Azeem!

Azeem Azam has endured frightening online harassment, triggered by forces with malevolent intent. The sordid tale had left him wrestling with a crisis of faith so profound that there was a moment when he mulled hanging up his boots.

The invasion still haunts him, for Mr Tran, of ‘Trainwithtran’, finds no other business in life more rewarding than this. He is riding on Azeem’s popularity for his 15 minutes of so-called, ostensible fame. Like they say, ‘if you can’t get the ball, go for the legs’!

But Azeem’s canvas is large and Tran is just a blip. It appears the English footballer has rewired his circuits and is ready to do what he does best – kick ball. Courage is not the absence of fear but the willingness to walk through it.

In a freewheeling chat, Azeem informed me of his burning desire to put an end to the entire muck that is floating online and focus on his true calling. Despite numerous delays due to injuries, God has kept him from ‘It is too late’. Desire is the pulse of the soul and it has kept him hopeful and interested. It’s a well-protected pursuit.

He has been in and out of many top-notch teams – AS Monaco, Real Betis, Leeds, and had it not been for injuries, he would be rubbing shoulders with the best in the business, settled!

He impressed me a great deal during his pre-season training at Betis in the 2008-09 season. Good players make big plays. That may be a big tackle, a telling through ball, or a stunning strike into the top corner. Whatever the case, high-quality players always want to be on the ball. They want to pull all the strings. Azeem personified it all. It was also refreshing to see him demanding the ball. He had a mix of speed and power. His ability to get past the defenders with ease and glide into dangerous positions on a consistent basis was easy on the eyes. He was not just a passenger of the game!

Azeem has declared himself fit and if things pan out favourably, we could soon see him occupying the left-wing space as an attacking option with Palermo. The Serie A outfit is just one of the pursuers. UAE’s Al Ahli is also reported to be paying close attention to his progress.

Capturing Azeem would be a superb piece of business for Palermo. Peter Day is the man Azam turns to for his daily affairs. Day, who was the ex-chief executive at Tottenham Hotspurs, is now agent to many of the leading players in England, including Azam. Day confirms Azam is fully fit and over all injuries.

“Azam will be an asset for any team and it is clearly evident when you watch Azam play. On his day, he can turn it on with the best of them”. An attacking left-winger, who has a penchant for scoring goals, could easily serve Palermo’s interests well as a play-maker operating in the midfield.

Palermo is a club with a 100-year-old history and Azeem could be a good addition and club president Maurizio Zamparini and head coach Giuseppe Sannino would do well to keep that in mind.

Reports have also surfaced that the Dubai-based club, Al Ahli, have renewed their interest in Azeem, having confirmed to Sport360° that they plan to meet Azam’s agent. On one occasion, a source close to Ahli claimed that Azam’s agent had expressed an interest in taking up an offer at the Rashid Stadium.

However, Ahli have revealed it is early days. The former Betis player is said to be fully fit but no deal has been announced as yet. When asked if the club was keen on signing Azeem, the well-placed source said: “maybe, we will have to wait and see.”

Azeem still dares to dream. Amidst all the distressing factors, he has found the emotional balance that is essential to finding and maintaining a positive outlook in life, regardless of what may be happening around him. The wild up-and-down emotional swings, very natural in his prevailing circumstances, are beginning to settle.

It is time we embraced him.