Mohamed Zidan was once dropped from the Port Said junior team only to land a four million euro contract with Germany's Werder Bremen. Mohamed El-Sayed follows the career of a world-class footballer most Egyptians have never seen play Almost everyone has talent in at least something. What is not always common is the determination to hone it. But that's what Mohamed Zidan, one of Egypt's most promising footballers, did. Zidan's story has all the hallmarks of perseverance which in the end turned him from a footballer playing in an unknown second division team in the Egyptian coastal city of Port Said to an illustrious player in one of the world's top football leagues, the Bundesliga. At eight, Zidan joined the junior team of Misri, the most famous team in Port Said, his hometown. He was promoted to upper-age groups until he was 16. But during preparations for the new season, he was dropped from the line-up by a coach who said he was not fit enough to be a footballer. Famous last words. Firmly believing in himself, Zidan, now 23, thought about going south to the neighbouring city of Ismailia -- one of Egypt's soccer powerhouses that produced, and still produces, a plethora of the country's most celebrated footballers who shot to stardom abroad -- to display his skills there. However, Hassan Mustafa, coach of the second division club Al- Gamarik of Port Said, offered him the chance to join his junior team for free. Against the wishes of his father -- who had always believed his son had the potential of a world-class player -- the teenager joined Al-Gamarik. Having been the top goal-scorer of the second division, Zidan helped them finish second. Thus, he was promoted to play on the first team. After he returned from a training camp in Alexandria, his mother accompanied him to Denmark, where she would fly to buy car spare parts for the family business. That trip was the turning point in his life. "In Denmark we were staying next to a football club called B93, a second division team," Zidan recalls. "Since I had made no commitment with my Egyptian team, I decided to go to the Danish club." Full of admiration for this Egyptian talent, B93 officials asked him to keep training, but again for free. In 2002, Zidan sought greener pastures in the first division team AB Copenhagen, where his star began to shine. With his new team, he won "the best technical player award" in the Danish league. He got offers from German powerhouses Schalke and Brussia Dortmund. His club, suffering from acute financial problems, sold him to FC Midtjylland of Denmark for �400,000 for four seasons starting July 2003. He quickly earned the admiration of his new club's fans who unfurled Egypt's flag during one match when they heard that French club Monaco was negotiating with the Danish club to buy him. To their joy, the negotiations broke down. Up till then, few in Egypt had ever heard of Zidan except for Mohamed Shawqi -- Ahli's midfielder, Misri's former player and Zidan's friend since childhood. "One day, Shawqi Gharib, the then Egyptian Olympic team coach, read an article about me in an Egyptian magazine. Shawqi, the player, gave him an account of my career, and soon after I was called to join the Olympic team after Gharib watched some videotapes of the matches I played in Denmark." In the 2003-2004 season Zidan earned more awards -- top goal-scorer with 19 goals, the best player in the first round, as well as the best technical player award for the second time. This season, he continued his stirring performance, scoring 11 goals in 17 matches. He attracted German club Bremen which was keen to fill the gap left by the departure of their Greek striker Angelos Haristeas to Ajax Amsterdam. On 7 January this year, during the winter transfer window, Zidan moved to the defending German champions for four million euros for four seasons, becoming the second Egyptian player to play for the German team after Egypt's most successful pro, Hani Ramzi. "Mohamed Zidan is a top flight player who made a strong impression on us," Klaus Allofs, Werder Bremen sporting director, said after the signing ceremony. "I was very upbeat when I moved to Bremen, and I will establish myself in Germany," Zidan told the German press after the signing. "I've always wanted to play for one of the top teams in Europe and this is my moment." Zidan was quick to establish himself in his new German team, scoring a wonderful goal in a friendly against a Turkish squad. Unfortunately, he was injured in another friendly against Hamburg and was absent for a month. In his first match in the Bundesliga he scored his first official goal with his new team against Munchen Gladbach. Having taken part in the game in the last 10 minutes, Zidan "was very happy with the goal. It was the first time in my life to play before such a huge number of supporters." The following week, he did it again. He was introduced to the field in their match against Hanover seven minutes before time, and again he scored, in the 85th minute. "Egyptian striker Mohamed Zidan could be one of the best players to ever come out of Africa," former Manchester United goalkeeping great Peter Schmeichel told BBC Sport. Having spotted Zidan while the Egyptian was playing in the Danish league for FC Midtjylland, the Danish goalkeeper said: "He has taken everybody by storm and it is an absolute joy to watch him play. He will make an impact, if he gets the right run of development in the next two years." Zidan has asked journalists not to liken him to Real Madrid's French legend Zinedine Zidane. "The only similarity between me and Zidane is the name. I cannot compare myself to him. He is a world-class player, while I am still taking my first steps in European football." But what big steps they have been.
