By Shahrukh Sohail, Chief Editor, Islamabad
After playing in England, Hong Kong and Thailand, Pakistan captain Zesh Rehman finally made his much talked about switch to Malaysian Super League side Pahang FA.
With rumours rife as to why he joined the Malaysian champions, Rehman finally answered questions on his official blog, zeshrehman.blogspot.com.
“I am delighted to have signed a two year contract with the reigning Malaysian Cup Champions Pahang FA. I had a tremendous experience in Hong Kong and felt I achieved all I could there and was looking for a step up when deciding to join Pahang for the 2014 Malaysian Super League Campaign,” he wrote in a post.
“I am chomping at the bit to get stuck into my new challenge. This will be my third Country to play in Asia and I am certain Asia will be the future of football. I loved my time In South East Asia with Muangthong United in 2011 and believe the ASEAN region is amongst the fastest growing in the Asia,” he continued.
The former Fulham defender also revealed that he had witnessed the professionalism of Malaysian football and was delighted to ply his trade in a country where supporters passionately come to cheer their sides on.
“In the past two years I have enjoyed playing in Malaysia for AFC Cup games with Kitchee and was convinced by those experiences this Country was where I wanted to ply my trade next because the support and passion from the fans is outstanding and the level ever increasing,” he claimed.
Zesh’s quality at Kitchee SC remained undoubted and the club were clearly sad at seeing him go, but nonetheless wished him all the best for the future.
“We are sorry to see Zesh go but understand the reason why. It is a step he should take, with his future and family in mind. Zesh has contributed to the Kitchee success in the last two years by strengthening our defense. His friendliness with everyone in the team also helped to create a good team spirit. We congratulate him on his new move to Malaysia and wish him every success for the future,” revealed Kitchee President Mr Ken Ng while talking to the media.
The ex-QPR man can also look forward to a stellar welcome in his new surroundings, where Malaysia legend and a crucial member of Pahang FA Zainal Abidin Hassan fully backed his signing.
“We are delighted Zesh chose to come to Pahang ahead of several other teams. He brings with him vast experience, leadership and a winning mentality which is exactly what we are looking for. We hope he can use his International and AFC Cup experiences to help us step up a level domestically and regionally. His professionalism and presence will be an asset for our young squad,” Hassan was quoted as saying.