Reading duo Adam Federici and Jobi McAnuff have both been lavish in their praise of the progression of UAE football, while the latter has admitted he would be interested in a move to the Pro League.
Reading, who are currently 17th in the Premier League table just one point from safety, recently spent four days in Dubai on a mid-season break before embarking on what is sure to be a tough season run-in.
And during the squad’s time in the Emirate, Australian goalkeeper Federici admitted he does keep an eye on proceedings in the UAE and has spoken to a number of international teammates who ply their trade here about the league.
“I love Dubai,” he said. “Lucas (Neill) used to play for Al Wasl and he speaks very highly about it, so I knew the facilities would be great before we came out here.”
Federici added: “I grew up with the likes of Alex Brosque (Al Ain forward) and Nick Carle (Bani Yas midfielder) and they speak very highly of the League and the people they play with.
“They say everything is done very professionally and the standard of training is high, and the quality keeps improving.”
The UAE’s football aspirations are certainly in the ascendency and their recent Gulf Cup triumph marked that progression. The current crop of talent is even being lauded as its greatest ever with a number of those stars being urged to test themselves in Europe.
However, Federici believes that such is the dramatic improvement of football in the country, we could soon see a reverse where players will head from Europe to the UAE.
“I heard about the UAE winning the Gulf Cup and they’re always very hard to play against,” the 28-year-old said. “People are waiting to see which UAE player will be the first to make a move to the European leagues, but I think the flow might soon be in the other direction with a few more players coming this way because the quality keeps getting better.
“Most of our young lads are coming out here even though they could probably go to Europe, which shows just how much football in the UAE is growing. It’s a very good sign for the League.”
One such player that could be heading from Europe to the UAE in the near future is teammate McAnuff. The Reading captain, who has spent his entire career in the English leagues, admits he does fancy trying his luck abroad and has marked the Pro League as a definite possibility.
“I’m not closing any options off as I’d definitely like to experience football somewhere else in my career,” the 31-year-old said. “Obviously the MLS in America is an interesting option, but I’d definitely consider a move to the UAE Pro League in future.”
Like Federici, McAnuff also lauded the improvements made in UAE football, reserving special praise for the burgeoning national team by claiming a few players could make it in Europe following their encouraging campaign at London 2012.
“I always notice the League on TV when I come here for holidays and there are some big profile players out here like (Asamoah) Gyan and (Ricardo) Quaresma. The League is definitely growing in stature.
“I saw the UAE play at the Olympics and they were very, very impressive for large parts of their games, and I noticed a couple of players in particular that really stood out,” the midfielder added.
“It seems like they’ve got the talent and the ability, so it will be interesting to see if any of the local players go and play abroad because it’s always good to test yourself as a player at the highest level.”
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