5 of the greatest Asians to have never played in Europe

#3 Ahmed Radhi

Ahmed Radhi represented the Iraqi colours with distinction

Ahmed Radhi was one from the unfortunate generation of Iraqi footballers who never had the opportunity to test themselves outside of their native country.

When Saddam Hussein’s son, Uday, became president of the Iraqi football association in the mid-eighties, he showed little inclination to allow the country’s best footballers to try their hand elsewhere. Their popularity proved a useful tool for the regime, and so promising players such as Radhi and Laith Hussein never got the opportunities their talent deserved.

Penarol of Uruguay made an offer to sign Radhi after he was named Asian Footballer of the Year in 1988, but it was rejected. And so one of the best Asian players of his generation, scorer of Iraq’s only World Cup goal in 1986, played out his career in Iraq, where he won five league titles and nine cup competitions with Al-Rasheed and Al-Zawraa.