Al Ain fans will rejoice, but Omar Abdulrahman may have missed his shot at Europe

It was the news Al Ain fans had wished for. On Friday night, Omar Abdulrahman, via his Twitter account, announced that he is staying at the club.

“Thanks to God’s will and the backing of Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, my contract with Al Ain has been renewed,” he posted. “I will work with the rest of teammates to provide joy to our loyal supporters.”

A huge reception now awaits the UAE’s golden boy on Tuesday night when Al Ain take on Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia in the opening group match of the Asian Champions League.

It seems churlish to begrudge a player the chance to repay the faith shown in him by a club that has nurtured for him for years, and indeed his adoring supporters.

Few foreign clubs too would be able to match a contract worth Dh14 million a year.

“Abdulrahman is a superstar in the country and he won’t enjoy the same status elsewhere,” said Kefah Al Kaabi, a leading sports commentator for Dubai Radio. “Who will leave such luxury and leave to another land and be nobody? So there was no doubt where he was going to remain.”

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That, however, is only one side of the story. In terms of the development of his own career, as well as the wider implications for Emirati football, his decision to forgo a move abroad – potentially to Europe – could well end up being a missed opportunity.

Abdulrahman will turn 24 in September, as appropriate an age for a change of scenery as any. Old enough to leave home comforts behind; young enough to adapt to new surroundings and still have his best years ahead of him.

Playing against some of the world’s top players in front of massive crowds could have raised his game to a new level.

Despite his excellence in UAE domestic competitions and in the Gulf Cup, it was only at January’s Asian Cup that Abdulrahman finally came to the attention of a wider international audience.

Many of the international journalists at the tournament were surprised a talent like Abdulrahman had remained such a secret for so long.

The UAE was the only country in the last eight at the Asian Cup without a single player playing abroad, yet they beat the favourites, Japan, finished third and had the tournament’s top scorer award thanks to Ali Mabkhout’s five goals.

If all that could be achieved with a team of home-grown players, just how much further could the team go with one or two players armed with the experience and expertise that playing in Europe against a better calibre of player can bring.

This is not yet an accepted notion in this country.

“An Emirati player in the calibre of Omar will not, and won’t, be released by the club in the first place,” the commentator added. “Secondly, it is very hard for an Emirati player to adapt to the lifestyle outside their homes.”

Yet a domestic scene that is good enough, and comfortable enough, to export players is in the long term more sustainable – and beneficial to the national team – than one that has to rely on a lottery-like emergence of a “golden generation”.

Abdulrahman playing in Europe would have raised the bar not just for himself, but for his countrymen too. What better motivation for young Emiratis than seeing their role model make it to football’s highest echelons?

This, for next few years at least, is not going to happen.

With this contract, Abdulrahman could very well have just shut the door on a move abroad once and for all.

Al Ain’s supporters will cheer. The rest of the world might feel a little short-changed.

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