IRNA - Hertha Berlin's up-and-coming Iranian
striker Ashkan Dejagah reiterated interest in playing for Iran's national
football squad.
"Although I am playing for Germany's (Under-20) national team.
Iran is always on the back of my mind. I am Iranian, my family is Iranian
and my heart beats for Iran," the 20-year-old Dejagah said in an interview
with IRNA on Tuesday.
"If there is an offer from the Iranian federation to join the national
squad, I would discuss it with my parents, especially with my father," he
added.
Dejagah acknowledged that there had been "informal contacts" with player
manager Reza Fazeli before the 2006 World Cup on becoming a member of the
Iranian national team.
The Berlin player pointed out that there are also other Iranian expatriate
footballers in the Bundesliga like Hamburg's Sassan Gouhari or Hansa
Rostock's Amir Shapourzadeh who have have the "potential to be in the
Iranian national team".
Dejagah hailed other Iranian Bundesliga legionnaires - Ali Karimi, Mehdi
Mahdavikia, and Vahid Hashemian, labeling them as "very good players".
He stressed that Iran had many players who could also play in the
Bundesliga.
On his own future at Hertha Berlin, Dejagah said he would make a decision on
extending his contract during the Bundesliga winter break.
Hertha manager Dieter Hoeness confirmed earlier that talks are ongoing with
Dejagah's manager Joerg Neubauer to extend the player's contract beyond
2007.
