AFC Cup Q&A: Jonathan Brown (Abahani Limited Dhaka)

Published on: 14 May 2017

Male: After starting his professional career at Cardiff City, Welshman Jonathan Brown enjoyed stints in Australia and Thailand before returning to England’s lower tiers.

Then, at the end of 2016, an unlikely offer surfaced and Brown found himself on a flight to Bangladesh to join Abahani Limited Dhaka for their maiden AFC Cup campaign.

After a stunning 2-0 victory over JSW Bengaluru in Group E two weeks ago, the-AFC.com caught up with the forward ahead of the visit to Maziya Sports & Recreation of the Maldives.

Q: How did the move to Bangladesh come about?

My friend, an English player named Lee Tuck (now with Malaysian side Negeri Sembilan FA), was playing here last year. We were both playing in Thailand a couple of years ago and he called me to ask if I fancied coming to Bangladesh for the second half of the season. I was playing lower leagues back home, but this got me back to Asia which is where I want to be. If I do well opportunities will present themselves elsewhere.

Q: What were your initial impressions of the country?

Obviously it hits you – the population, the traffic and the culture. I can’t get over how busy it is. There’s no real laws on the roads, well there is but nobody sticks to them, so there’s traffic everywhere. It’s like a different world but I was told it was going to be a big eye-opener and it’s been a good experience.

Q: Can you describe your early years in the game?

I signed professionally with Cardiff City when I had just turned 17. I played there with Aaron Ramsey, who’s my age, and made my first-team debut that year, coming on as a sub against Coventry. I was in the U-17s, U-19s and U21s Welsh sides and we had a really good team as it was most of the first team now – Gareth Bale, Joe Allen, Chris Gunter and Ramsey.

Q: And you later moved to Australia.

The opportunity came up in the A-League with Gold Coast Mariners, so I thought it was a different challenge. That was probably the most I’ve enjoyed my football, on and off the pitch. It was just a shame I was only there for six months because I only signed until the end of the season. A new manager (Graham Arnold) came in and wanted his own players.

Brown opens the scoring in 3-1 defeat to Mohun Bagan

Q: The main reason for moving to Bangladesh was the AFC Cup. How have you found the competition so far?

It’s been a good experience but obviously disappointing because we’re unlikely to qualify. But it’s been great testing myself against the Indian teams and Maziya, who are also strong. It’s good seeing different countries. We’re off to the Maldives now and then Mohun Bagan at home, so it’s nice to test yourself against different clubs from different countries.

Q: There’s a huge rivalry between Bangladesh and India, so what was it like to be part of the win against Bengaluru?

I had heard all about that before. When we played them away they were very strong and dominated the match. But at home it was a different story, it was 50-50 and could have gone either way. We were down to 10 men but with 10 minutes to go we got two late goals. They’re probably the biggest club in India so I really enjoyed it.

Abahani claim outstanding 2-0 win over Bengaluru

Q: How was the reaction of the fans afterwards?

Everyone was chuffed. We came out of the stadium and they were waiting for us. All the staff and players were so happy because it was also our first win in the competition. It was really nice to get the win and, after going down to 10 men, we showed great character.

Q: What’s the atmosphere like within the squad?

It’s really good. The local players have been great and look after the foreigners and everyone gels together really well. They speak very good English, which I was surprised at. I’ve picked up a bit of Bengali but nothing major.

Q: What’s the passion for football like in Bangladesh?

It’s popular, but obviously cricket’s number one and they play it everywhere. I’ve been told we used to get a lot bigger crowds around 10 years ago when the national team was doing well, but in recent times they have been struggling. They need to develop more of a set-up for youth players, start from grassroots, otherwise the national team will continue to suffer. If they do that, I’m sure they can improve.

Q: What does the future hold for you?

I’m here for the AFC Cup and then I’ll see what opportunities present themselves. I’m open to anything and I’d like to stay abroad, preferably in Asia. I’ve had some interest after playing well against the Indian clubs so I’ll have to wait and see after the last match. India is a possibility, I’ve seen some of the games on TV and it would be a progression for me.

Photos: Lagardère Sports

Source: the-afc.com

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