Shojaei Voted Asia’s Greatest Player in La Liga
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian player Masoud Shojaei has been voted as the Asia’s greatest player in Spanish football.
In a poll conducted by the-afc.com, 61 percent of participants voted the Iranian midfielder.
While Javad Nekounam was the first Iranian player to shine in La Liga, Shojaei wasn’t far behind, and the duo created a unique Team Melli influence in northern Spain.
Often used as an impact player off the substitute’s bench, Shojaei was a reliable contributor of assists, particularly in his debut season where he created eight goals for his teammates.
A serious injury robbed him of the entire 2011-12 campaign, and his time in Spain finished in the Segunda Division with Las Palmas, but his tally of more than 100 appearances in the top tier outlines his quality as a player.
The Iranian defeated his compatriot Nekounam, Wu Lei (CHN), Takashi Inui (JPN), Paulino Alcántara (PHI) and John Aloisi (AUS) to be named as the Asia’s Greatest Player.