Kottan dubs Zesh Rehman “Best Central Defender of South Asia”

Kottan dubs Zesh Rehman “Best Central Defender of South Asia”

ahore, 5 November : “I am sure that that Zeshan Rehman (Bradford City) and Atif Bashir (Bridgend Town FC) together are the best central defenders in South Asia. Atif was outstanding for me during Colombo’s AFC Challenge Cup this year while I am really impressed with the potential of Zeeshan during Talent-search Euro Tour 2009. Zesh had never represented Pakistan under me but I have records that he played SAFF Championship brilliantly at Karachi four years ago under Bahraini coach Salman Shareeda and missed the next at Maldives last year due to food poising. This defender, favorites to join me for coming SAFF Championship mission alongwith Atif, has enormous talent and enough capability to re-join Pakistan after playing his last international for Pakistan at Syria two years ago, blocking all Iraqis attacks in World Cup Qualifier 0-0 draw” this is stated by Pakistan National team coach George Kottan who was on European Tour recently in a mission to form firm-footed Pakistani teams for the 8^th SAFF Championship (December 2009) and 11th South Asian Federation Games (Jan-Feb 2010).

Nicknames Zesh, he is an English Pakistani football defender who was the first British Asian to start a Barclays Premier League match and is the first to have played in all four divisions of professional football in England. He was the first Pakistani international footballer to play professional football in England.

“I watched him play for Bardford in Coca Cola League Two game against Notts County at Meadow Lane on 8 August and Carling League Cup tie against Nottingham Forest at City Ground on 12 August. But I have to take more time to see Birmingham-born defender in more actions so that his actual competency could be known as far as representation of national team is concerned.” added Kottan who visited Pakistan in 2003 as Bangladeshi coach when Pakistan hosted Asian U20 Asian Championship at People’s Sports Complex. He also coached Goan outfit Churchill Brothers in India 2006. Vienna-born Kottan is one of the seven gold medalist coaches in the history of South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship. He was very impressive during event six years ago as under his supervision Bangladesh were crowned champions at their own backyard at Bangabandhu National Stadium at Dhaka.

Meanwhile, Zesh, now 25, praised Pakistan Football Federation (PFF)’s President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat’s directives to ask Kottan monitor the European-based footballers of Pakistani origin who are interested in playing for Pakistan and also those who have already played for Pakistan but are still unknown to Kottan.

“I will never forget 7 December 2005 when I made international debut for Pakistan against Lankans at Karachi’s Peoples Sports Complex during 6^th SAFF championship. You have to dream big and remember anything is possible with hard work, faith and belief. Pakistan conceded only one goal during four games of the event and that too from penalty-mark. I also want to see the whole infrastructure of Pakistani football improve and see more players from other countries decide to represent Pakistan. My ambitions for Pakistan are to reach last 32 of World Cup one day Insha Allah. Hopefully, we can achieve this while I am still a player, if not then I would love to be the manager that does it.

 “Football on British soil is going fine, I am gaining more experience all the time and have now worked under nine managers and played for six clubs Fulham, Brighton & Hove Albion, Norwich City, Queens Park Rangers, Blackpool and Bradford city during last six years. In terms of gaining more experience it was exactly what I needed and one of the reasons I moved around England.”