Featured: Zayed hat-trick hero in Iranian derby clash

EXTRATIME – TEHRAN, Last year’s PFAI Player of the Year and League top goal-scorer, Eamon Zayed scored three goals in his second game for his new side Persepolis in the Persian Gulf Cup derby against rivals Esteghlal on Thursday.

Zayed, who joined the Iranian side from Derry City at the end of last season, bagged the three goals in the final ten minutes in a dramatic ending to an exciting game.

“To score my first goals for the club and in the manner in which I did, was absolutely amazing! It was a derby here, the two biggest teams in Iran, played in front of 90,000 fans in the national stadium and 20 million people watched it live on TV.

“We were 2-0 down and had a player sent off. I had come on in the 60th minute, in what was only my second appearance for the club, and I scored goals in the 86th, 88th and 92nd minute. It was Roy of the Rovers stuff!”

The Libyan international striker has joined Persepolis initially until June, and admits he is enjoying his football in the Middle East, albeit being different from life in Ireland.

“I’ve been here almost a month now and I think I’ve finally adapted to the place now. Scoring the hat-trick on such an important game will hopefully allow me kick on now and do well here.

“Life over here is ok. It’s obviously different than back home in so far as they have certain rules like drink is forbidden so there are no bars or nightclubs. Traffic and pollution is terrible here too! But it’s a safe country, people are very friendly and there are plenty of things to do. I’m kept busy training six days a week though.”
The striker, who scored 22 goals for Derry last season, also said that the standard in Iran is of a really high standard.

“Football here is class. It’s very professionally run here, with training facilities being top notch. The standard is very good, technically they are very good players. The captain of my team is a legend here in Iran; Ali Karimi. He played for Bayern Munich for a few years! He’s a top player and he’s an example of the standard here.

”People love, love, love football here in the country. You have men coming up to you, shaking your hand and taking pictures all the time. You get noticed every were you go.”

Having registered his first goals for the club, Zayed is looking forward to the next coming months.

“We have the Asian Champions League starting up soon so I’m looking forward to playing in that. I’ve signed a short term contract until the end of the season here in June so hopefully all goes well now and I’ll see what options I have then. At the moment I’m on cloud nine and tonight feels like a dream, scoring a hat trick in a derby played in front of 90,000 people!”