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New A-League club Melbourne Heart have signed Australian Institute of Sport graduate Kamal Ibrahim, who arrived in Australia from war-torn Ethiopia seven years ago.
The 17-year-old committed to a multi-year deal to become the seventh player to sign for Heart FC following the recent announcements of former Dutch youth international Rutger Worm and Socceroo goalkeeper Clint Bolton.
His elevation to a professional football environment alongside senior Australian internationals marks a remarkable rise for Ibrahim.
He arrived in Melbourne with his mother, two sisters and three brothers from Ethiopia in 2003.
Head Hearts coach John van’t Schip said the recruitment of the adopted-Melburnian demonstrated the club’s commitment to developing talented young footballers.
“Developing talent for the future is an important responsibility of any football club, and I believe the signing of Kamal is proof of our commitment to invest in Australia’s youth,” he said.
“Kamal has shown talent in the National Youth League, and while he is still very raw and will still need to work very hard, he has some very interesting and exciting qualities.
“He has overcome a lot to reach this point in his career and knows this is just the start of his story, not the end.”
An inventive winger, Ibrahim has been a regular feature of the national youth set-up for the past two years.
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