Sports > Football > SHANA HAJI THE FIRST IRANIAN PLAYER IN SCOTLAND BY AFSHIN DASTAFSHAN
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Shana Haji became the first Iranian football player to sign with a Scottish Premier League (SPL) club last month when he joined Hibernian FC (Hibs) in the capital city Edinburgh. I have met the 18 year old Shana twice since he joined Hibs and can see that he is a star in the making, he is practicing hard and is ready to play in the club’s next reserve match. The following is a background to Shana’s football career; quite an impressive resume already may I add for an 18 year old player.
Shahnam Hajmollah Ahmad Naraji better known as Shana Haji in Europe was born in Barrow-in-furness in Cumbria (England) in 1988 to an Iranian father and British mother but he is very much Iranian as Shana’s family moved to Iran soon after his birth where Shana grew up in Tehran. Like every kid in Iran he played football on asphalt in his street using bricks to mark goalposts. But Shana took his football seriously from an early age and joined the football academy run by the former Iranian international striker Mr Hassan Rowshan who played against Scotland in world cup 78 finals.
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Shana joined Esteghlal FC of Tehran at an early age (youth level) where his talent was spotted in due course by the Spanish Club Real Zaragoza when he was 17, Shana signed a one year deal with the Spanish Primera Division side and played for Real Zaragoza youth team in season 2005/2006 where he was a regular first team playe, he gained valuable experience in Spain.
Shana who plays in a right winger position then had a four day trial at Norwegian Premier League club Tromso where he was offered a contract, at the time the transfer window was closed and Shana returned to Esteghlal, however Tromso kept the offer open, after careful consideration though Shana decided against joining Tromso with the intention of playing in an European club with a stronger football infrastructure and higher standards of the game.
Then came the trial at Hibernian FC in the Scottish capital city Edinburgh where Shana impressed Hibs boss John Collins. Shana was signed for the rest of this season on March 13th 2007 where he is focusing on his training and is expected to play in Hibernian’s next reserve match. During my two meetings with Shana he emphasised that he is fully committed to the club and that he will do the talking on the pitch, he will give it 100% and hopes to fit in with John Collins’ plans for the team. I will be staying in touch with Shana and wish him best at Hibernian FC.
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