Dailymail - Ashkan Dejagah came on for the last 20 minutes to make his Fulham debut against Aston Villa – but who is he? He is little-known but had an immediate impact on Fulham’s play, looking sharp and dangerous and Martin Jol afterwards described him as ‘explosive’. Sportsmail reveals where he’s come from.

WHY IS HE ONLY JUST MAKING HIS DEBUT?

Dejagah signed for £2million in the summer but arrived with a torn calf muscle so has been unable to play. He suffered the injury in training shortly before his move but it was not considered serious enough for him to fail a medical.

WHO WAS HE SIGNED FROM?

Wolfsburg. Martin Jol already signed right back Sascha Riether on loan from the club and went back for the winger, getting him on transfer deadline day. The pair won the Bundesliga together with the German club back in 2009.

WHERE’S HE FROM?

The 26-year-old is an Iranian-German. He represented every single German national youth side from under 17 to under 21, scoring for each one, and even won the under 21 Euros back in 2009. And he’s always played in Germany, starting at Hertha Berlin before moving to Wolfsburg. But he opted to play for the Iranian senior team. He’s made four appearances and scored twice.

HE’S AN INTERESTING CHARACTER THEN?

Yes, he courted controversy in 2007 by refusing to play against Israel in an under 21 match. He was accused of making the decision for political, antisemitic or racist reasons but he denied this and it is thought his family were under threat.

FULHAM HAVE PLENTY OF ATTACKING OPTIONS, IS HE LIKELY TO GET IN THE FIRST TEAM?

Their main wingers are certainly under pressure. Alex Kacaniklic has started to push into the first team and the 21-year-old has played eight times this season and Damien Duff, who missed the game against Villa due to illness, has scored three times in eight matches. But Jol said: ‘Alex Kacaniklic thought he would come on [instead of Dejagah] – then a player who is new is in preference ahead of him. He is explosive and he should give Damien Duff competition for that place.’