Moroccan forward Oussama Assaidi believes playing alongside the likes of Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez at Liverpool has made him improve as a player as he looks to become a success at Al Ahli.
Assaidi joined Liverpool in 2012 from Dutch club Heerenveen, but after his debut season was sent on loan to Stoke City for a year-and-a-half before sealing his move to Al Ahli.
Upon arriving at the Arabian Gulf League champions in January, the 26-year-old fired a parting shot at Liverpool by claiming he was never given a fair shot to prove himself.
However, Assaidi has said playing alongside players of the calibre at Liverpool has helped him become a better footballer.
"When I was at Liverpool I was able to train with, play with and learn from players like Steven Gerrard, Jose Enrique, Luis Suarez, and (Philippe) Coutinho," he said in an interview with the Arabian Gulf League website. "They all had an impact on me."
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Assaidi was part of an aggressive mid-season recruitment drive by Al Ahli as the club sought to get their faltering season back on-track. As well as Assaidi, Brazilian playmaker Everton Ribeiro and Korean midfielder Kwon Kyung Won arrived at the Rashid Stadium.
While there has been a slight upturn in fortunes, sixth-placed Al Ahli are 16 points behind league leaders Al Ain, and six off Al Wahda occupying fourth and the last Asian Champions League place.
However, Al Ahli did win the postponed Super Cup on Friday which could signal a late season revival.
Assaidi believes the team is playing well overall, but are getting punished for their profligacy in front of goal.
"We've started playing well but we don't have much luck," he said. "Sometimes you can say we've had difficulty scoring."
Despite the on-field frustration, Assaidi said he is adjusting to life in Dubai.
"The beginning was hard because I came from England and I had to get used to the new culture and lifestyle, but now I've settled down and found a house so I'm feeling more comfortable," he said.
"Europe is different, and the style of football is different; in Europe it's faster and more tactical, and here it's a bit more hectic on the pitch, but I'm getting used to it."
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Oussama Assaidi: Learning from Gerrard and Suarez at Liverpool will help me be a success at Al Ahli
Moroccan forward Oussama Assaidi believes playing alongside the likes of Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez at Liverpool made him improve as a player as he looks to become a success at Al Ahli.
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