Sheikh Morsalin - A football superstar in the making
In this special series, TBS features 20 athletes under the age of 20 who represent the best of Bangladesh’s sporting future
Sheikh Morsalin may be just 17 years old, but he is quickly becoming a name that brings a lot of excitement in the Bangladesh football fraternity.
An attacker with superb technique and excellent ball striking, some of Morsalin's goals for Mohammedan in this season's Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) have gone viral on social media.
Growing up, he was always good at studies, and that meant his parents would want him to focus less on football.
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He would get scholarship money for doing well in his studies and he used that to buy his first pair of boots.
But it was through his uncle's support that he managed to get admitted into BKSP and his footballing journey started.
"I started playing seriously from when I was 12 years old in the Under-12 national team. After that, I got admitted into BKSP," Morsalin told The Business Standard (TBS).
Fast forward a few years and Morsalin was dominating the scoring charts in third-division football.
After being the top scorer in the third division, he was fast-tracked into the BPL where he was picked up by Bashundhara Kings before being sent on loan to Mohammedan.
In seven matches, he managed two goals and two assists, including one long-range wonder goal against Bashundhara Kings.
A fan of Kevin de Bruyne, Morsalin is seen as a versatile player, someone that can play as a striker, or an attacking mid, and his dribbling makes him an asset on the wings.
"The main objective for me is to help the team. Whether that's scoring a goal, or an assist or even with a pass or dribble. I want to help my team win the match in any situation," he says.
It's that mentality along with the talent he has, that has many fans excited about his future.
"I want to focus on coming back to Bashundhara Kings from my loan, be a regular starter there and eventually make it in the Bangladesh national football team. And I've got long-term dreams of playing in a foreign league too if possible in the future," he explains.
Morsalin not only dreams of playing in a top foreign league in the future but hopes more parents can use him as an example: "I want to be able to inspire parents so that in the future we can see more kids pursuing football as a career."
Bangladesh football might not be in its heyday, as it was in the 1980s, but players like Morsalin, the investment in football by Bashundhara Kings, and the recent successes of the age-level national teams give fans hope that better days lie ahead.
Morsalin seeks good wishes from his peers and fans so that he can live up to his early promise, and he ends by saying: "Just believe in yourself, keep working hard, and keep supporting Bangladesh football."
