Hossam Ghaly's name was rarely mentioned in English papers since he signed for Tottenham Hotspur in January unless Egypt's golden boy Ahmed Hossam 'Mido' was talking about his compatriot and how much talented he is. With almost three months into the new season, fortunes were changed. While Mido is still struggling to find his game and a place in the starting line-up, Ghaly is walking steadily towards becoming one of coach Martin Jol's trusted men. Putting on a glittering performance against Turkish side Besiktas in the UEFA Cup and scoring in the 2-0 away win, Ghaly was above the clouds. "It was my first goal for Spurs and for it to come in a big UEFA Cup game makes is even more special," the Egyptian international said after the game. The Turkish delight wasn't Ghaly's first on the European stage as he also played against Slavia Prague of the Czech Republic in the qualifying round, dishing out a neat assist to fellow striker Robbie Keane to score the only goal in a 1-0 victory. But Ghaly is still kept in the dark over his chances to hold on to this starting status in the future because of Jol's unpredictable formations and line-ups. Played in almost all the pre-season friendlies, Ghaly was certain he will make his first Premiership appearance as the seasons starts. But he wasn't called up, even as a substitute, in the first three games. In the fourth match against Manchester United, Jol's surprises turned happy ones for Ghaly who was granted the chance to make his full debut at Old Trafford. "I found it strange to start against United," Ghaly told FilGoal.com. "But what really surprised me that, despite I won much praise after the game, I was sidelined again till Prague game during which I took part as a substitute."
The 25-year-old star is also uncertain where on the pitch he would be deployed permanently. Ghaly, who is known in Egypt to be an all-around player, has featured as a holding midfielder, right wing and right back so far with the Spurs. Mido once said that Ghaly can play in all positions except as a goalkeeper but this doesn't seem something very comfortable to the former Ahli man. With the image still foggy over his position and starting status, reports suggested that Ghaly, like many other Egyptians, would opt for a comeback to Ahli to cover a void should appear if Mohamed Shawki left for Europe in January. "I have never even thought about this," said a confident Ghaly. "I will strive for my chance at White Hart Lane and if I wasn't lucky enough, I will search for it in another place in Europe." Though, Tottenham's mixed results in this campaign my help pushing Ghaly into the starting 11. Jol's side, who finished fifth last season after a nail-biting fight with rivals Arsenal for a Champions League spot, are struggling this season just to get into the upper half of the table. They won only four times from their first 12 games. The Spurs also conceded 14 goals in the same period. "These poor results could be profitable for me," joked Ghaly. "But I wish the team get back on the right track with myself, of course, on board." ------------------------------------------ *Additional reporting by Osama Khairy
