Baniyas have signed Royston Drenthe, the former Real Madrid winger, on a free transfer to complete their foreign contingent.
The Dutch winger, 28, was a free agent after leaving Kayseri Erciyesspor, the Turkish Super Lig side, earlier this summer and has agreed to a one-year deal. He joins Mark Milligan, Joacquin Larrivey and Ishak Belfodil as the Arabian Gulf League club’s expatriate roster for the 2015/16 season.
Drenthe was once considered as one of the Netherlands’ brightest prospects, having broken into the Feyenoord first team in 2005, aged 18. Two years later, he was named best player at the U-21 European Championships as the Netherlands retained their title.
AGL talking points: 'The Magician' makes UAE return, Al Jazira must fix leaky defence
His performances at the tournament earned Drenthe a €14 million (Dh58.2m) transfer to Madrid that summer. However, after scoring a superb goal on debut in the Super Cup clash against Sevilla, his career quickly deteriorated. In four years at the Bernabeu, he made 46 league appearances.
Drenthe, who can play at left-back or further forward, spent spells on loan at Hercules in his homeland and then Premier League side Everton, but neither move was a success. He left Madrid as a free agent in August 2012, and has since represented Alania Vladikavkaz in Russia and English clubs Sheffield Wednesday and Reading.
During his short stay at Erciyesspor, Drenthe scored three goals in 11 league matches. He will hope his switch to Baniyas, who resume their league programme against Dibba on Saturday, provides him the opportunity to reignite his career.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
The Land between Two Rivers: Writing in an Age of Refugees
Tom Sleigh, Graywolf Press
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: seven-speed PDK dual clutch automatic
Power: 375bhp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh332,800
On sale: now
The five pillars of Islam
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sukuk explained
Sukuk are Sharia-compliant financial certificates issued by governments, corporates and other entities. While as an asset class they resemble conventional bonds, there are some significant differences. As interest is prohibited under Sharia, sukuk must contain an underlying transaction, for example a leaseback agreement, and the income that is paid to investors is generated by the underlying asset. Investors must also be prepared to share in both the profits and losses of an enterprise. Nevertheless, sukuk are similar to conventional bonds in that they provide regular payments, and are considered less risky than equities. Most investors would not buy sukuk directly due to high minimum subscriptions, but invest via funds.
Sunday's games
Liverpool v West Ham United, 4.30pm (UAE)
Southampton v Burnley, 4.30pm
Arsenal v Manchester City, 7pm
