RPL – Ones to Watch: Reza Shekari
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Loading...Russian Football News – KAZAN, For a player only just exiting youth football, Reza Shekari has had an enormous amount of hype surrounding him.
Born in Tehran but making his senior debut for Isfahan-based Pro League outfit Zob Ahan, the young midfielder has made a name for himself in Iran, though this is mostly due to his performances for his home nation at U17 and U20 level, where he scored 14 goals in 21 games. While he was invited to train with the U23 squad at the age of just 17, it was not until last year that he made his debut, scoring within fifteen minutes against Kyrgyzstan during AFC qualifying.
He has trialled with Basel, and had interest from a host of Russian and European clubs alike, including Rostov & Leicester City, before Rubin Kazan signed him up on the last day of the 2017 Summer transfer window. Scoring two goals in eight appearances for Rubin’s academy has quickly made Kurban Berdyev consider the prospect as a rotation option. He has made two appearances since breaking out of Rubin’s youth setup last season, both from the bench, and will be hoping to finally break into the senior squad this season.
Strengths
One aspect of Reza’s game that is immediately striking is a level of composure and flair that defies his twenty years. An adept passer, he can work the ball efficiently both along the ground and over the top. He has excellent ball control to get out of trouble, executing one-touch dinks and well-timed short passes to his teammates. His awareness and vision should only improve with time. Like his compatriot Sardar Azmoun, he is solid in the air thanks to his height and agility, and is not even too bad on the slide to kick-start counter-attacking moves. It is perhaps for these reasons Berdyev tested him at right back during preseason, although he is more likely to be used as a right winger given Rubin’s quality in defence (especially if Berdyev switches to a more conventional 4-2-2 variant). In the standard 5-3-2 expect him to line up on either side of a midfield stalwart like Kambolov, with him able to drift into the flank allowing more space for creativity. Certainly he offers an intriguing option off the bench.
Weaknesses
His shooting is not extraordinary, but then we would be spoiling ourselves. While his work rate is decent, he is not the type of attacking midfielder to drive forward with the ball singlehandedly, preferring to hold up the ball, escape opposition legs, or find space. That may prove useful for strikers who like to get in behind defenders, but at the same time they will usually be reliant on quick and reliable deliverers of the ball high up the field. As for flexibility, he would probably need to improve his long balls if he were to be considered in a more deep lying role, which may be required of him at some point by Berdyev. Azmoun won’t be on the end of any Iranian wide crosses either as Shekari naturally prefers to stay away from the extreme flanks. If it can be classed as a weakness, he is not a vocal player able to command the midfield; Iran youth teammates such as Mohammad Sharifi cover that role for him an international level.
What’s Next?
The Qashqai Turk has the potential of forming quite a formidable partnership with ethnic Turkmen Azmoun, both at club and perhaps international level. It is difficult to ascertain whether Shekari would be better off settling in Kazan or seeking pastures new if he particularly impresses by the time he gets a senior Iran call up; quite a lot would depend on the amount of game time he gets, or whether he meshes with a player already well established in Russia and proves himself to a manager who is willing to give him that chance. If he succeeds, an eventual move to a top league would certainly not be surprising, but an extended stay in Kazan would be even less so.
