Impressed Dooley wants to 'have a close look at Zidane'

Bangladesh's young centre-back Zidane Yousuf has caught the eye of national team coach Thomas Dooley from the crop of overseas-based players who featured in the country's AFC U-20 Asian Cup Qualifiers campaign in Uzbekistan.

As many as five overseas-based players represented Bangladesh in the campaign, but as the side failed to win any of their three group matches, few of them produced performances worth talking about. Zidane, however, managed to stand out and leave an impression during the tournament.

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Whether he can make a breakthrough into the national team remains a long shot. But Dooley has already seen enough in the youngster to believe he is worth a closer look.

The son of a Mexican mother and a Bangladeshi father, Zidane has just finished his campaign with Bangladesh in the AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualifiers, where his technical maturity and physical attributes caught the attention of the national team's coaching staff.

But catching the coach's eye is one thing. Earning a place in the squad, the starting XI -- or even a ticket on the plane to Jakarta for the FIFA ASEAN Cup -- is quite another.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's afternoon training session at Kings Arena, the national team boss acknowledged the youngster's talent but poured a bucket of ice water on any premature expectations. Dooley is open to bringing the defender into the senior fold, but made it crystal clear: no one will be handed a cap simply because they carry an "expatriate" tag.

The young centre-back, who plays in England's seventh tier, will not simply be handed a place because of his overseas background or potential. If he wants to force his way into the side, he will have to prove himself better than the defenders already trusted by Dooley.

Zidane's defensive positioning and one-on-one tackling have already been on the coaching staff's radar, and Dooley made no secret of his interest in bringing him into the senior setup.

“Zidane Yousuf is one of the players that I would like to have. I want to see him and give him a little bit of experience with the first team. He is playing with the U-20 team now and will join us once he finishes. When he comes, I want to look at him closely,” Dooley told reporters on Sunday.

Under Dooley, building attacks from the back and using ball-playing defenders appear set to become important parts of Bangladesh's approach, judging by their 2-1 away win over San Marino -- the only match the team have played under him so far.

Zidane's physicality and technical ability make him a potentially good fit for that ball-playing role. But Dooley is dead set against handing out free passes, and performance will always trump pedigree.

Asked whether Zidane could be included in the main squad for the FIFA ASEAN Cup after completing the AFC U-20 qualifiers, the coach threw down a clear challenge.

“If, after finishing with the U-20 team, he comes and shows us that he is the No. 1 player in defence, then of course we will take him to Jakarta,” Dooley said.

“But if he cannot prove himself better than the others, then we will play with the players we already trust. We want to see how important a part of our future he can become. He is a player we should assess very carefully.”

The message is straightforward. Dooley's interest in Zidane is genuine, but so is the test awaiting him.

Once he joins the senior camp, the young defender will get his chance to impress. Whether that earns him a place at the heart of Bangladesh's defence, leaves him on the bench, or even outside the squad altogether will depend entirely on whether he can pass Dooley's test.