Tafazolli is hoping to play for Iran

Peterborough Today – PETERBOROUGH, An international call-up for Iran is on the Ryan Tafazolli wish-list for the 2017-18 season.

The 25 year-old centre-back qualifies for Iran through his parents. Tafazolli is yet to win a cap, but manager Carlos Queiroz is aware of his qualities.

“One of the Iranian coaches was due to come and watch me play against Bristol Rovers last season, but I was injured and missed the game,” Tafazolli stated. “I’d love to play for them. but they are flying at the moment. They are the number one ranked team in Asia.

“If I keep playing well and I improve I will hopefully get my chance.”

Tafazolli was a star of last season for Posh following a summer move from League Two side Mansfield.

His power and quality on the ball won him a host of new admirers. He managed 38 appearances despite collecting injuries at the start and end of the campaign.

“I did okay,” Tafazolli added. “And the defence did okay as a whole. There were a few games last season when we leaked a few goals and we must work harder next season to get more clean sheets. More clean sheets means more wins.

“It was disappointing to pick up an injury early on, but I came through that and I enjoyed my first season. I played a lot of games in a row which might have contributed to the injury I collected at the end of the season.

“There are some clever strikers like Billy Sharp in League One. You have to concentrate for the entire 90 minutes or you will get punished. That’s a big difference between League One and League Two. You have to use your brain more in the higher division.

“But I can only grow and become stronger for next season when I also want to score more goals. I scored a few from set-pieces for Mansfield, but not so many last season when Bolton showed how important free-kicks and corners can be. Their centre-halves scored loads and next season it will be an aim of ours to get more goals from defenders.

“We need to impose ourselves in the opposition penalty area like we do in our own penalty area.”

Tafazolli scored twice for Posh last season although some statistical websites are still crediting him with a goal against Northampton that was a blatant own goal!