Alireza Jahanbakhsh @ Brighton & Hove Albion | 2019-2020

[saadat_abad]

Not claiming any specific knowledge here. Just based on what we have seen from Pothead. He has been benched even after pretty good performances.

I respect that but i think he will get along really well with McAlister on the pitch as we saw a bit of preview at the end of the wolves game! lets hope he gets a fair shot.

[diz]

Back to the beginning with Alireza!

Albion midfielder talks us through his early days as a footballer.



Here he talks us through the early days of his career that remarkably included sharing the same pitch with an Iran international he’d admired from a young age.

Who was your first footballing hero?

The most important games that I remember were the qualification matches for Iran to get into the 1998 World Cup in France. I was five or six years old and remember watching to see how they did.

Iran did well in the qualification and people were really excited about the games. My family are big football fans and we all watched them.

That generation has been one of the best ever that played for the country. We had a player called Mehdi Mahdavikia who was always my idol. He played in Germany for 12 years.

When I was a bit older I remember the 2002 World Cup, the Brazilian Ronaldo was my biggest idol then. I was now playing football myself with my friends and I was always trying to act like him.

What was your first football shirt?

Before football I played a lot of different sports! At six or seven I did gymnastics for two years and I loved it at the time. That was when I wore my first proper sporting outfit.

Then at the age of nine or 10 I went to a class for self defence, and from the age of 11 I started to play sports with a ball. I played handball, indoor football and lots more sports.

My first jersey was for my school. I remember they gave us a full outfit with top, shorts and trainers. I loved it at the time, and it was a great feeling when I wore it.

At what age did football become your main focus?

I was very close to playing indoor football after I had been selected for the national team. There was a tournament for under-15s that I was invited to when I was only 12.

I was the top scorer during the year and really enjoyed it. I made the national team and from age 13 moved to an academy in my home town. I played there for a year and then went to try out for the under-15 national side.

I didn’t get selected, so my football started then really. I played in the third division back home and the moved to Tehran to a small club for a year and progressed to the first team and the first division of the Iranian League.

You made your Iranian Pro League debut at the age of 17 for Damish Gilan, becoming one of their youngest ever players – what was that like?

It was amazing to be honest. I was young and wanted to get as many minutes as possible in the first division.

I wanted to learn and progress. Funnily enough the year I broke into the side, the player I mentioned earlier whom I looked up to, Mehdi Mahdavikia, was returning from Germany! He played in right midfield and I played right-back in my first game. I couldn’t believe it. It really was a dream come true for me to play against one of my first heroes.

I played there for another season and enjoyed a really good campaign, and then I moved on to Holland in 2013.

https://www.brightonandhovealbion.co...g-with-alireza

[BacheLot]

EPL confirms five (5) subs, and nine (9) bench players for the rest of the season: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/52914350

hate to be negative but i just cant see him starting many if any games thru the end of the season...?

but with that many subs allowed he may well get some minutes late in 2nd halves of games..!! hopefully he does the damage there....!!

[aenima_8]

"Alireza on double Dutch spell

Albion midfielder reflects on his time with NEC and AZ Alkmaar.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh experienced the highs and lows of football during his time in Holland.

The Iranian, who joined Albion from AZ in July 2018, spoke to us about the next stage of his career before he arrived in England.

Why did you make the move to Holland in 2013? How much did the prospect of playing in Europe appeal to you?

When I joined NEC in 2013, I’d had a few other offers to consider. I was playing for the under-19 national side and after a tournament in Dubai I had interest from clubs in Turkey and France as well.

I spoke with friends and people I trust in to try and take the right steps for my future. Most of them chose the Dutch opinion because of the academy at NEC and how they help you grow as a footballer and a person.

At the same time, I had an offer from one of the biggest clubs in Iran! They have about 35million fans and I was close to joining them. They’d done all the paperwork and as I was about to sign when I had a call from Holland.

I disappeared for a few days to make sure the Holland move could happen. They came to Iran to speak to my club and a deal was made. I explained to the Iranian club my reasons and that I wanted to move out of the country. They understood and it went from there. I wanted to learn and adapt to European football.

What were your impressions of that first season and what are your memories?

It was tough to be honest. It was a completely new environment and culture with different expectations.

Of course, the way they played football was different too. In Iran we had a lot of very good individual players, in Holland I had to learn how to play more as part of a team with detailed tactics.

I had to learn the language to be able to communicate with my teammates, but I had friends around me who helped me settle in. Every day I tried to learn the language.

We were relegated in that first season, but I learnt so much. I played in a lot of games and then in the second season I wanted to give something back to the club. I felt comfortable there and we got promoted back to the first division.

It’s always taken me some time to adapt to new surroundings wherever I’ve moved to but once that’s happened it’s been much better.

You had a chance to join us earlier than you did didn’t you?

Things went really well. I came to Brighton and spent a few days in England looking around the training ground and the city, it was amazing.

I formed a great impression, but I was only 21. The Championship was a very physical league with a lot of matches and at the time I felt I had a lot to learn in order to develop even more.

But I always told my friends that Brighton gave me an amazing feeling and I kept it in my mind.

You then moved on to AZ Alkmaar – where you again enjoyed a lot of success.

I had a lot of injuries in my first season and I wasn’t in the best shape. In the second season I got used to the club and the amazing people there. I learnt so much.

I began to feel at home and produced my best performances. The third season was the best so far. I felt in a really good place and had a great relationship with everyone.

You were the top scorer in the league in 2017/18, and it was the first time an Asian player had achieved that in a top European league.

Throughout my career I have felt a responsibility to be a role model for the young footballers back in Iran.

I wanted to show it’s possible to make steps, grow and make it in Europe at the highest level. I wanted to show it doesn’t matter where you come from – if you work hard and have ambition you can create great things.

You have to be patient. I came from a very normal family and used to play with my friends in the street, but I wanted to make my dreams come true and I’ve done that through hard work.

It felt great to have so much success there. We have had some wonderful young players making moves all over Europe now and to feel like I have played a part in that means a lot to me."

https://www.brightonandhovealbion.co...le-dutch-spell

[Galactika]

woohoo jahanbakhsh is killing it.
anyone saw his stories he was helping his mom make bread?

[diz]

[diz]

Looking ready for the upcoming Arsenal match

[AMIRHOUSHANG]

Looking ready for the upcoming Arsenal match

Do you know if the green team was made up of the first team players?

[KasraKhan]

Do you know if the green team was made up of the first team players?

I assume green is the 2nd team since it looks like Lamptey is in green too. The youngster probably isnt in the first team yet.

[inarsenewetrust]

guys hold your breath hes not starting

[diz]

guys hold your breath hes not starting

Unfortunately, I think you’re right.

[Salar]

Mooy who starts every match was also wearing green. No coach would have a training match a week before their match of reserves versus starters, especially Potter who never announces the starting 11 until the day before at the earliest. This would take away all of the player's confidence! Having said that, of course it doesn't mean he is starting but let's have our fingers crossed.

[teammelli91]

guys hold your breath hes not starting

Lol of course he's not. That assclown Potter is draining Alireza's potential day by day and week by week. I cannot wait until Ali gets out of this club. So sick of this bs.

[Salar]

Lol of course he's not. That assclown Potter is draining Alireza's potential day by day and week by week. I cannot wait until Ali gets out of this club. So sick of this bs.

They'll probably get relegated which means both of them would probably leave, no way they could survive their crazy schedule.

[saadat_abad]

Mooy, Dunk and Ryan were on the green team so i dont think you can take anything away from that scrimmage match.