The Scottish Wayne Rooney? What Chelsea fans can expect from Islam Feruz
Football Spy has signed up some of the web's top foreign football experts to provide you with first-hand information on the latest Premier League transfer targets. Here's Football=Life 's Joe Krishnan on new Chelsea youngster Islam Feruz...
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Islam Feruz
Born:
10/09/1995
Age:
16
Birthplace:
Somalia
Club:
Celtic
Position:
Forward
Despite being just 16 years-old, Somalian-born Islam Feruz has already experienced a fair amount of drama in his life. But with a move to Chelsea on the cards, it seems that his fortune is taking a turn for the good, rather than the worse.
Feruz fled war-torn Somalia when he was just six. And when he arrived in Scotland illegally, it seemed as though he would be deported. However the late Tommy Burns, who was coaching Celtic at the time, was reported to have seen the youngster playing and managed to convince the Foreign Office to let his family stay. Feruz was then invited to join the Hoops as a 10-year-old after Celtic scout John Simpson saw him playing at Castlemilk sports centre.
And Feruz has certainly taken his chance in Glasgow. Since he came onto the scene at Celtic Park, Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Real Madrid have been tracking his progress after starring for the Celtic U-19 side last season. It surprised many when Feruz was called up to the Scotland Under-17 squad for UEFA Championship qualifier against Cyprus at just 14, but the lightning forward has gone on to become a key member of the side, bagging six goals in seven games, as well as an excellent hat-trick against Faroe Islands in the Nordic Cup.
After agreeing to to pay Celtic £250,000 for Feruz, Chelsea have reportedly offered him a £2,500-a-week deal - although he will be on a much smaller wage for the time being as FA rules prevent players signing a professional deal until they are 17. It is believed Feruz will join up with the Academy until he is 18, before going out on loan to one of Chelsea's feeder clubs.
Critics will point to the examples of Slobodan Rajkovic, Scott Sinclair and Michael Mancienne - all young players who never really made the grade at Chelsea - to show that the same could happen to Feruz. That said, there is a reason why he's already being dubbed the Scottish Wayne Rooney.
Feruz is an explosive player with an amazing strength and a good strike. And while he is usually deployed as a striker, his unquestionable pace means he can also play on both wings. The way that Feruz dribbles and embraces the ball shows that he is a special talent, almost as if the ball is stuck to his boot every time he receives it.
Like Rooney, Feruz also loves to come deep to collect the ball and then burst at the defence with lightning pace. He also shares a fondness for cheeky lobs - as seen in Scotland's Victory Shield match against Wales.
With his pace and lively character, Feruz is an exciting prospect for Scotland fans as well as Chelsea, and it is widely expected that he will be making his debut for the Tartan Army in the coming years. Be warned, though: as with Rooney, Feruz is vulnerable to the infamous 'red mist' - he's already received a red card off for elbowing an opposition player - and Chelsea's youth coaches will surely look to keep his temperament in check.
Blues fans expecting Feruz to burst on the scene this season will be disappointed. Feruz's first task will be to comple his exams and then joining Chelsea's academy. They can take solace, though, in the thought that Chelsea now boast a thrilling array of young attacking talent, what with new signings Juan Mata and Romelu Lukaku and the irrepressible Daniel Sturridge kicking around the fringes of the first team.
The signing of Feruz has been hailed by all quarters of the game, so if he can live up to his potential, he could become a household name in English football.
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Read more from Joe Krishnan at Football=Life or follow @JoeKrish7 on Twitter
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