Amir–the son of legendary Iranian keeper, Ahmadreza–has taken after his father. “Like father, like son” is what the website Kayhanvarzeshi describes him.

Born on April 26, 1994, the player plays for Spanish Segunda Division Ponferradina in the current season.

He was a member of Portugal’s Primeira Liga team Maritimo from 2017 to 2021.

Previously, the goalkeeper had played for Iranian teams Persepolis and Rah Ahan.

Football fans term ‘Amir’ Eagle of Asia’s son. The Eagle of Asia is the nickname of Ahmadreza Abedzadeh who played for Esteghlal Tehran, Sepahan, Persepolis and the Iranian national football team had kept his goal closed for 802 consecutive minutes.

The retired goalie was a key footballer for Iran’s football. Iranians will always remember a special day in the 90s when they emerged victorious over powerhouses Australia thanks to Ahmadreza Abedzadeh’s performance.

Now, Amir who follows in his father’s footsteps is regarded as a successful keeper between the sticks.

One of Abedzadeh’s special features is communicating with his defenders and talking to them constantly during the matches.

“I have big goals and dreams that I visualize every day. I believe I can reach them. My focus is always on how I can improve myself daily,” Abedzadeh told PortuGOAL.

“Sooner or later, I know that my mindset will put me in a position to achieve my goals. In the past, I would discuss my goals in detail. Specifically, I would mention what they are and how I’m going to get there. However, I believe now is more about executing and doing,” he added.

“As my focus is locked on improving, I know that maintaining the right beliefs and patience will put me in a position to enjoy the journey, as I work hard towards those goals,” he stated.

When perseverance pays off

In November 2017, Amir Abedzadeh was first invited to Iran’s national team by then Iran national football team head coach Carlos Queiroz.

Abedzadeh has been a regular player of Iran’s 2022 World Cup qualification campaign, though a second choice to Alireza Beiranvand.

Owing to his fantastic performance, the player was shortlisted for the 2021 Men’s World Best Goalkeeper by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).

“My father has been a role model for me because of his discipline and his dedication. He trains five hours per day at the age of 54. We always talk about my strengths and weaknesses,” he said in a live interview with the Iran football federation that has been published in Tehran Times.

The custodian added that “I’ve always tried to learn from my father and he is my role model.”

In another interview, he considered goalkeeping beyond “just a save”.

Every day I try to overcome my weaknesses by watching more matches to become a better keeper, he underlined.

I’m not looking for comparisons, saves, and scores because someone who understands football should not only pay attention to the saves of a goalkeeper in the match, Abedzadeh pointed out.

The FIFA World Cup will take place in Qatar from 21 November to 18 December 2022.

The ‘Persian Leopards’ in Group B of the tournament will face England, the US, and Wales.

Iran football team became the 14th team to book their place in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Moreover, the ‘Persian Leopards’ became the first Asian team to book their place in a major competition.

Iran, No. 21 in the current FIFA world rankings, will kick off the World Cup campaign in Qatar against fifth-ranked England on November 21.

“Iran in the World Cup is always a big story”, revealed the Middle East and North African football journalist Uri Levy. “They had a good qualifying campaign. Under Dragan Skocic, they showed that they have the quality. It is the talent upfront that is making the difference for them. Bayer Leverkusen’s Sardar Azmoun and Porto’s Mehdi Taremi are prominent names in the squad.”