Star signing Khamis Esmail has admitted he was shocked when Al Jazira sanctioned his groundbreaking move to fellow Arabian Gulf League giants Al Ahli.
Esmail, 26, has inked a three-and-a-half-year deal after a bid worth up to Dh60 million was accepted on Monday. His high-profile switch is a rarity within UAE football, where the trading of elite domestic talent seldom occurs between the two clubs involved or fellow heavyweights Al Ain.
Speaking at his unveiling at Rashid Stadium yesterday, the 33-times-capped defensive midfielder revealed he had not expected to make such a historic transfer.
He said: “Everybody was surprised about this. I was one of the key players in the team.
“But they have some sort of plans for the future. Maybe this thing was the best for the club and the player.
“This is how professionalism works.”
Esmail speaks to the media after his ground-breaking move.
He added: “Al Ahli are a big club. I stayed five years with Al Jazira and they were beautiful years.
“I hope to help Al Ahli and give my best to this club. They did everything they could to move me here, so I want to pay back this with everything I can.”
Esmail made 80 top-flight appearances for the Pride of Abu Dhabi since a January 2011 move from Emirates Club. His final months at the club were soared by a disagreement with a former agent and ongoing concerns about a lingering knee problem.
He has swapped an underperforming club languishing in 10th for one who are second, three points behind champions Al Ain. A fight to get into the starting XI ahead of UAE colleagues Habib Fardan and Majed Hassan awaits, but the challenge is not one Esmail fears.
He said: “When I moved from Emirates Club to Al Jazira, there were a lot of superstars in the team. But I was able to learn a lot from them.
“If there is not competition, then you will not see improvement in the performance from the players. I think Al Ahli have a lot of good quality players.
“I think I need to do my best and prove my skills to the team. This will help put Al Ahli on the top at the end.”
Ahli CEO Ahmed Khalifa was present at the unveiling and he hoped Esmail’s arrival would inspire a push to reclaim the AGL crown.
He said: “From first to second place is a team effort, not just about one important player. But I think Khamis will add a lot of value to the team.
“He is one of the best players in the UAE and we think he can perform well.
“To bring the team from second to first, we need a lot of work and effort. It has to be from everybody to achieve the trophy at the end.
“We also think about good players who will help us hit our targets.”
