Jahanbakhsh: I am the “David Beckham” of Iran?

Tehran Times – Alkmaar, AZ Alkmaar midfielder Alireza Jahanbakhsh says that he is not Iran’s David Beckham but is going to become the best Iranian football player.

He currently is one the most famous Iranian players who plays in Europe and that’s why he is quite popular among Iranian fans. 

“I am the David Beckham of Iran? No. I want to be the best football player of my country and eventually be part of the history of Iran.

We had no Iranian player in recent years that made a good move to a club in Europe. That’s what I did. Especially AZ has built a reputation by performance in the Europa League in recent years.

The Iranians are so proud that I am playing for this club,” Jahanbakhsh told AZ official website. 

“Playing right or left doesn’t matter for me. In the national team I mostly play on the left side while I was a right winger at NEC. In the national team we have Ashkan Dejagah who is a fantastic player and has played in English Premier League and Bundesliga.

I’m right, but can also shoot with the left,” he said. 

“I almost played in England when the Brighton & Hove Albion came up. I went there to see the city, club, stadium and their training facilities. It all looked good, but I had doubts.

I was not one hundred percent sure that this was the step I wanted to make. When AZ contacted me I was immediately convinced because this is a big club in Netherlands,” he said.