Yadegar Rostami – made in Marivan, polished in Poland by IranFootballScout
Description:
Yadegar Rostami was born in 2004 on the 2nd of January in Marivan, Iran. At the age of 11, Rostami would join the new and revolutionary Kia Academy, being one of the first players to progress through one of the most modern football academies in Iran. Immediately making an impact, Rostami won player of the tournament at the 2015 Cordial Cup which featured teams from top European academies. From there, Rostami rose through the ranks at Kia Academy until the age of 18 when he joined the Pogoń Szczecin youth setup. Since joining, he has found himself playing across the midfield and across age groups. He has scored 10 goals in 6 games so far for the U19 team this season, with two additional goals during his time with the U23 team. His immediate impact has been rewarded with regular training sessions and even inclusion in the match day squad of the senior Pogoń Szczecin team. For country, he has moved beyond his age group and received a call up to the Iran U23 side, where he has since debuted in the AFC U23 Asian Cup.
Playing Style:
Similar Player: Jamal Musiala
Rostami plays best as an advanced 8, while also having experience in deeper roles. When looking to get into the opposition box, Rostami will employ his technical ability to dribble past the opposition before eyeing up the perfect pass or shot. Rostami’s skillset is especially evident in tight spaces, where he quickly finds solutions to keep possession while under pressure. Outside the box, Rostami is constantly scanning the field of play and controlling the tempo in order to smartly progress the ball. Weighted long balls and backheels with flair are both a part of his passing repertoire. With his transition towards a deeper role, Rostami has found himself improving his defensive game, and in particular his counter-pressing ability. By mastering the art of winning back possession and leading the perfect counter-attack, Rostami can cement himself as the heartbeat of his team.
Rostami scans the field of play and positions himself to intercept a pass before making a run and scoring into the bottom corner (III liga: Pogoń II Szczecin – Zawisza)
Rostami confuses his marker with a body feint before scoring from a tight-angled first time shot (III liga: Pogoń II Szczecin – Świt Skolwin)
Future Ahead:
Overall, I expect Rostami to continue his rapid development and have a trajectory unlike other Iranian talents. The reason being is that the KIA FC Academy offers a modern and well-rounded approach that other academies in Iran continue to lack. Similar technical players from those academies have often found themselves missing key elements of the game when plying their trade at a higher level. Coming through Kia Academy allowed Rostami to get European experience and a move to Europe as soon as possible. Pogoń Szczecin was a wise career move as the club is famed for its youth development and integration into senior squads. Given that Rostami has already made the matchday squad for the senior team, a debut is imminent and wouldn’t be a surprise before the end of the season. As for his national team’s future, Rostami is fortunate to be playing in a position and with a skillset that is lacking in Iran’s senior squad. The 2023 Asian Cup may come too soon for Rostami, but should Iran qualify for 2026 World Cup, Rostami’s inclusion in the squad wouldn’t be a surprise.
Potential: 8/10