Al Ahli striker Ahmed Khalil aims to top the goalscoring charts in the domestic league this season with an eye on catching the eye of a top European football club.
“I want to be the top goalscorer this season,” said Khalil who prefers to keep the number of goals he hopes to score a secret.
The gifted 19-year-old Emirati talent has set himself ambitious goals as he gears up to bring more silverware for his country in future tournaments.
“I wish in the future games to be the most important player and most crucial player,” said Khalil speaking ahead of a training session to Emirates 24|7 on his goals this season.
Like any footballer, he dreams of representing his country in the World Cup. “My goals are to improve as a player and to win a World Cup place and score goals in the World Cup,” said Khalil with determination.
Having spearheaded UAE to victory in the Under 23 Gulf Cup held in Qatar last month by scoring five goals to be adjudged player of the tournament, he is already being touted as the natural successor to one time golden boy of UAE football Ismail Mattar.
“It is an honour to be compared with such a player. Ismail was the best player in the Gulf Cup. I wish that I could reach the stage that he reached and be as good if not better than him,” said the 2008 Young Asian Football of the Year of Mattar who helped UAE win the Gulf Cup in 2007.
Khalil dreams of playing for English Premier League champions or La Liga champions Barcelona when asked about his ambitions of playing outside the UAE. “In future I hope to play abroad and to be successful there,” said Khalil who was linked to Portsmouth last season and models himself on Chelsea and Ivory Coast star Didier Drogba.
He is focused on bringing glory to UAE either at Olympics or World Cup. “I wish I can be available in all these competitions. This helps my motivation as a player,” said Khalil who helped UAE reach the last eight of the Youth World Cup held in Egypt last year.
The changes taking place in Al Ahli with the advent of former Aston Villa and Leeds boss David O’Leary and Italy’s World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro, seems to be having a positive influence in his ambitions as well. “It is very hard work. They will make us better players,” said Khalil who is determined to stamp his class for both club and country in future.
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