Former Shabab Al-Khaleel winger and left back Mohammed Direya has signed with Valmiera FC in a move few have anticipated. The move will make him the first ever Palestinian player to play in the Latvian top flight.
The 21 year old had something of a mixed bag in 2021/22 scoring a hat trick at the 2021 U23 WAFF Championship against Lebanon but failing to cement a starting position at club level with Shabab Al-Khaleel. Direya was also part of the U23 team that failed to qualify for the U23 Asian Cup last year.
The move to Latvia is an interesting one and will perhaps serve to hone the player’s undoubted raw skill into the finished product. With Shabab Al-Khaleel it was never quite clear where he could be best utilized and with his defensive shortcomings evident he was often in direct competition with Tamer Seyam for minutes.
Direya has already featured for Valmiera’s reserve side helping them secure victory this past weekend by notching his first goal for the club.
Valmiera currently lies top of the Latvian top flight five points clear of their nearest rivals with 11 matches to go.
