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English Premier League players impressed by UAE football standards

With the UK still in the throes of winter, training for English Premier League teams can be difficult in snowy and icy conditions, so it is little wonder that no fewer than seven Premier League teams took advantage of a break in fixtures to escape the winter chill and head to the UAE for some warm-weather training. Last week saw the squads of Swansea, Sunderland, West Ham, QPR, Reading and West Brom arrive in Dubai, whilst Norwich based themselves in Abu Dhabi, in hope that a change of scene and routine will stand them in good stead for the remainder of the busy Premier League season.

Reading Football Club, nicknamed ‘The Royals’, set up camp at the Park Hyatt and trained at Al Wasl’s Zabeel Stadium complex, where the players could be seen working hard in their training sessions whilst visibly enjoying the sunshine and warmer climate. Reading’s number one goalkeeper, Adam Federici, highlighted the benefits felt by the players: “From a health point of view it’s great to get a bit of Vitamin D, and it’s a bit of a refresher for the morale. It’s not always easy training in the wet and cold every day so it makes a big difference to be here when there’s not much sun in England.” Reading’s captain, Jamaica international Jobi McAnuff, echoed Federici’s sentiments. “The weather makes a nice change from England at this time of year; it’s good to have a bit of sun. It definitely benefits us both mentally and physically and gives us a lift to make a real push for the rest of the season.”

Both players expressed their love for Dubai, having visited many times before, for business and pleasure. “I’ve been before for holidays and also for several training camps with the Australia national team. I love Dubai,” said 28-year-old Federici, with McAnuff adding; “I’ve been on numerous occasions for holidays because I love it here, and I came for a training camp once before when I was with Watford FC. I know there’s a number of other clubs here at the moment and it’s the ideal place to come because of the weather, the facilities and the fact that it’s not too far to travel from London.”

The training setup at Al Wasl has also been a positive for the players. “The main issue when you go abroad for a camp like this is the training facilities, because you don’t want to affect the standard of training too much, but the facilities at the Al Wasl training complex have been brilliant,” said McAnuff. Meanwhile, Federici already knew what to expect after a tip-off from close friend and Australia national team colleague Lucas Neill, a former Al Wasl player. “Lucas 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. For the weather conditions here the grass is very good.”

Lucas Neill is not Federici’s only source of inside information on the Pro League, as he has several other compatriots plying their trade here. “I grew up with the likes of Alex Brosque (Al Ain) and Nick Carle (Bani Yas) and they speak very highly of the League and the people they play with out here. They say everything is done very professionally and the standard of training is high, and the quality keeps improving.” The continuous growth of the Pro League has also been spotted by McAnuff on his various visits to the UAE; “I always notice the League on TV when I come here for holidays; there are some big profile players out here now like Gyan and Quaresma, and the League is definitely growing in stature.”

In his role as goalkeeper for the Australia national team, Federici is no stranger to coming up against the UAE at international level, and The Whites’ recent Gulf Cup success did not go unnoticed. “I heard about UAE winning the Gulf Cup and they’re always very hard to play against, as with any team from this region.” Meanwhile the UAE national team first registered on Jobi McAnuff’s radar during last summer’s Olympics in London. “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. 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.”

Federici, however, anticipates that we might see more European-based players heading this way first. “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 start being in the other direction with a few more players coming this way because the quality keeps getting better,” he explained. “Most of our young lads are coming out here even though they could probably go to Europe, but they choose to play here, which shows just how much football in the UAE is growing. It’s a very good sign for the League.” And Jobi McAnuff certainly wouldn’t mind being one of those Europe-based players to head in our direction; “I’m not closing any options off as I’d definitely like to experience football somewhere else in my career,” McAnuff explained. “Obviously the MLS in America is an interesting option, but I’d definitely consider a move to the UAE Pro League in future.”