FIFA - Everyone knows that there are certain players who can act like an extension of the coach while the ball is in play. This is a rare and sought-after commodity, which explains why Iran boss Seyed Nazemalsharieh could not be happier to have Mohammad Keshavarz in his ranks at the FIFA Futsal World Cup Colombia 2016.

Keshavarz, it is worth noting, spent a year coaching the team for whom he plies his trade, Giti Pasand. "The club was going through some problems. We were without a coach and there wasn't enough money to bring in a new one, so I decided to step up to the plate to help my team," the 34-year-old told FIFA.com.

The experience of serving as a player-coach throughout the 2014/15 season gave the defender a whole new perspective on the game. On a day-to-day basis, he not only dictated his team's tactics, but oversaw training and had a hand in numerous organisational matters. "When you take up a position of responsibility, you view things from a different angle. I had to start handling all sorts of things overnight," he reminisced. "Now I better understand some of my former coaches and what they tried to teach me in my younger years," he added with a hearty laugh.

Future plans
Despite the challenging nature of that period, Keshavarz did not fare badly at the helm. Not by a long shot: the 2011 AFC Futsal Player of the Year guided his side to a runners-up finish in the Iranian league, falling just one point short of claiming the title. This short and sweet coaching baptism will unquestionably prove an asset when he decides to embark on the next chapter in his career.

"Of course I'd like to work as a coach one day," Keshavarz, the father of one daughter, said about his future. What he was more ambiguous about, on the other hand, was the subject of when exactly he will hang up his boots and make the move into the dugout for good. "I'll quit playing when I feel I no longer have anything to offer the team," was all he would say.

Considering how the six-time Iranian league champion has performed in Colombia, that day could well still be quite far off. At what is his fourth Futsal World Cup, Keshavarz is still playing a key role for his country and his vast experience was a pivotal factor in Iran's last game, an extremely hard-fought win over Morocco.

Watching the No4 in action, it is clear that this is very much a coach in the making. He is constantly talking to his team-mates and giving them instructions. After his team reached the foul limit early on in the Morocco match, he could be seen striving to keep those around him calm every time the threat of a sanction loomed. As if that were not enough, he displayed all of his nous in his one-on-one battles and forced the opposition into several misplaced passes.

The coach calls the shots
After that game, in which Team Melli eventually overcame the African champions 5-3, Keshavarz spent a good while locked in conversation with his coach out on the court. "We talk a lot, especially about tactical considerations. Then I try to get the message across to my team-mates in training," the veteran said. He was at pains to emphasise that he is not in charge: "It's the coach who establishes the system, I just relay it."

This interactive approach has worked well in Colombia so far. Iran stuck to their task impressively before eventually succumbing to European champions Spain in their opener and, after prevailing against Morocco, they remain in with a chance of making it through to the Round of 16. Having fallen at that stage in 2012, Keshavarz is keen to go further on this occasion.

"We came to Colombia with big ambitions and we want to stay in this wonderful country for longer," said the seasoned stopper bullishly. To ensure they do so, Iran must take three points from their last group fixture, which pits them against Azerbaijan in Medellin tomorrow, Sunday 18 September, at 18:00 local time.

Whatever happens, there is no doubt that these experiences in South America will serve Keshavarz well at some point during his coaching career. If he can draw on them, and the other lessons he has learned over the years, to get his charges to show the same sound judgement that he does out on the court, then we are sure to keep hearing an awful lot about him in the future.