PSV Eindhoven, which has one of the best youth development
programmes in the world, were impressed with the performance of
Malaysian defender Mohd Asraruddin Putra Omar during the Champions
Youth Cup.
They liked the player so much that they are offering him the
opportunity to attend a two-week stint at the club with the
intention of joining the clubs youth programme. We saw player No.
3 (Asraruddin) play against us and the match before and we came
away impressed, said PSV coach Peter Dekkers.
We would like to take him to PSV for a few weeks and see more of
him in action, added the coach. We have spoken to Jonathan Price
(Chairman of the Gifted Group) to assist us in getting the player
to PSV as soon as possible.
We are delighted a leading club like PSV Eindhoven is prepared to
give this opportunity to a young Malaysian player. I hope that this
will be the first of many opportunities that will arise for
Malaysians to play at the top level. We will work closely with the
relevant parties here including the Ministry and the FAM to
expedite the players trip to the club and we would be delighted to
cover the cost of that trip.
Apart from impressing Dekkers, Asraruddin also caught the attention
of PSVs International Scout, Piet de Visser. He is a good captain
and has a good left foot. He is very strong, fast and has good
passing skills.
Many defenders just defend well but are unable to create moves,
this boy can do both very well, said de Visser, who travels
throughout the world in search of bright young talents. We look
forward to having him at PSV.
His height, strength and high work-rate make Asraruddin a
commanding player and its no surprise that he has secured a
regular place in the senior Selangor squad.
Over the years, Malaysian players have undergone training stints
and attended trials in Europe but always with clubs from the lower
divisions.
This is the first time a Malaysian player has been called up by a
leading European club, hopefully this will mark the beginning of a
new era in the nations football.
