Alireza Jahanbakhsh #7

Profile

Jahanbakhsh is one of the few Iranian stars who has never played for either of Tehran’s two major clubs, Persepolis or Esteghlal. At the age of 19 he turned Persepolis down in favour of moving to the Netherlands with NEC Nijmegen. That decision partly explains his relatively mixed popularity among some football fans in Iran. Jahanbakhsh is from Gilan Province in northern Iran, a region whose people are often stereotyped for having prominent facial features. During his time at Brighton, he was involved in a confrontation with Manchester City defender Kyle Walker. Reflecting on the incident, he said: “He touched me and hit my nose. I’m from the north of Iran, and we have big noses – it’s hard to miss!” At 32, Jahanbakhsh is more of an impact sub than a certain starter, having lost some of the explosive pace he displayed during his peak years at Alkmaar, between 2015 and 2018, when his incisive runs and spectacular long-range goals made him one of the Eredivisie’s most feared players.

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