#18 Sardar Azmoun
A name that has recently been in the news is a phenomenon from Iran – Sardar Azmoun. Currently, at FC Rostov, the striker has had a nomadic career right from age 9 when he began playing for Oghab Gonbad.
In the subsequent years, he plied his trade for the youth teams of Shamoushak Gorgan and Etka Gorgan before he made his journey to Sepahan. But before Sepahan could get his signature for a professional contract for their first team, Rubin Kazan swooped in and acquired his services in 2012.
A year later, Azmoun debuted for the first team in a Europa League match against Jagodina. He marked his league debut in October, a 20-minute substitute appearance, with a goal and an assist. His first season at Rubin Kazan was full of promise as he scored five goals in 17 appearances, but it was followed up with a poor second campaign.
FC Rostov subsequently brought him on loan for two seasons before purchasing him outright this season. In the first year at Rostov, he saved the club from relegation with three crucial goals. A year later, he followed it up at the opposite end of the table as he was a catalyst in helping Rostov to the 2nd spot in the table and a place in the Champions League.
Although the current league campaign does not reflect his real potential, his performances in the Champions League does. During the playoffs, he scored against both, Ajax and Anderlecht and then went on to catch the eyes of fans in a group consisting of Atletico Madrid, PSV and Bayern Munich, as he managed to score against the Madrid side.
His performances for the Iran national team have been exceptional, as he has 16 goals so far in 22 appearances. Carlos Queiroz, the former Real Madrid manager has labelled him as a potential world class player.
The Iranian Messi as he is called despite his 6’ 1” frame, Azmoun should, in the following year, build on his past laurels and outperform expectations that have garnered the attention of clubs across Europe.
