In just a few weeks of 2019, Bahraini striker Abdullah Yusuf Hilal graced three of football’s most iconic stadiums.

Playing for Czech giants Slavia Prague, Hilal’s footballing dreams were soon realized with Champions League trips to Inter Milan, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund.

People had questioned his decision to swap Bahrain for the Czech Republic in 2018, but just over a year later he was playing against the world’s best players in the world’s top club competition.

“These are memories that will always stay with you,” Helal told Arab News. “I remember in Dortmund it was crazy how loud the fans were. Really crazy. We couldn’t hear each other on the pitch – it was a great atmosphere and obviously I loved the experience.

“It gave me a lot of playing under that pressure and against such great players. They had Mats Hummels and Manuel Akanji in defense and that was a challenge – a different level of football in terms of speed, quality and fitness.”

Hilal is currently preparing for his fifth season in the Czech Republic, having signed a few weeks ago for Mladá Polesav, who finished mid-table last season but have plans to reach Europe.

It will be his fourth club in the small central European country, which has produced world-class players such as Pavel Nedved, Petr Cech, Vladimir Smisser and Tomas Rosicky, as well as penalty-taker Atonin Panenka.

Recently, the likes of Vladimir Koval and Tomas Suczyk have impressed West Ham in the Premier League, the latter being a teammate of Hilal at Slavia Prague.

“I wasn’t surprised to see (Tomas Soucek) doing so well because he’s a great player and at Slavia at that time our team was at a really high level,” said Hilal. “He showed what anyone who plays in the Czech league already knows; it’s a physically tough tournament with high intensity and a high technical level.

“And I’m not just saying that as a player from the Gulf. I had teammates from Germany, from Denmark who feel that way too. Now we see that the big clubs in Europe are looking more at the Czechs and that is of course another great reason to play here.”

The promise of future progress is what brought Hilal to Melada Bolesaf. His time in Europe seemed to be over after his move to Indonesian side Persija Jakarta last year, but despite a fruitful spell in Asia, Hilal felt he had more to give.

“The fans in Indonesia have been great and people love football there – they follow you everywhere and it really feels like you’re famous,” said the 30-year-old. “But honestly I didn’t enjoy my football and felt really low on myself. It felt like a step back and I think it’s the right time for me to show what I can do – that’s why I came back to the Czech Republic.

He added, “I have good memories here as it was my first jump from Bahrain to Europe.” “I’ve enjoyed my football here more than anywhere I’ve played and it’s great to be back.”

Hilal first moved from Al-Muharraq to Bohemians in Prague in 2018 after being encouraged by then-Bahraini coach Miroslav Soukup.

“I am now in Europe because of him and we are still in touch,” Helal said. “He is an incredible man and is like a father to me. He was always pushing me, and I remember him telling me to hold off on signing a new contract in Bahrain because he felt I could get to Europe.

“I was offered good money to stay but he kept reassuring me so I trusted him and it was the best decision I ever made.”

After initially impressing Bohemians, Hilal made a huge move to Slavia Prague before playing for Slovan Liberec, where he became the first Bahraini player to score in UEFA competition – scoring in two consecutive rounds of the Europa League. As the winning goal in the opening match of the group stage against the Belgian team Gent.

Few Bahrainis have found themselves playing outside the Middle East, but Hilal reveals he has been trying to motivate his young international teammates to follow suit.

“Leaving Bahrain was a difficult decision, but for me it was a challenge that I really wanted,” he said. “Many players like to be in a comfortable area between family, good money and an easier league. But Europe was a dream I really wanted, so I made sacrifices and made it happen.

“We have a lot of talented young players who have the potential to play in Europe and they certainly can do that, but they need more courage and I tell them this. They need to sacrifice a little bit and realize that money is not everything and maybe sometimes you need a contract to show what you can do.

“Everyone has their own ideas of course but for me it’s more about mentality than quality. You have to want it.”

Topping football’s wish list at the moment is Hilal, a place in Bahrain’s squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. Having been a non-playing member of the squad in Australia in 2015, he was set to lead the line in the UAE in 2019 prior to his injury. that led him to become a minor league player.

The striker admits he is somewhat worried about next January’s tournament in Qatar. Bahrain recently parted ways with much-loved Portuguese coach Helio Sousa and has not yet announced a replacement. The national team did not play any friendlies in the last FIFA window and Hilal has not represented their country since the Gulf Cup semi-final defeat by Oman in January.

“It does not seem like the right time for Bahrain,” Hilal said. “We’ve had many years of stability with Susa, won a lot of matches together and we’re up in the FIFA ranking pretty well. I’m not sure why he hasn’t extended his contract and we still don’t know who the new coach will be.

“I don’t know what happened with Al-Ittihad or what the plan is, but we are already missing the chance to play friendlies. Since the Gulf Cup I haven’t met anyone, nobody has called me. I’ve spoken to the coach because it’s over but that’s it. I hope they fix it because we have Important times ahead of us as a national team.”

In the AFC Asian Cup, Bahrain will face Malaysia, Jordan and South Korea in a tough match in Group E. The opening match against South Korea on January 24 will be a repeat of Bahrain’s last match in the AFC Asian Cup, a painful extra-time defeat against Bahrain. The Taeguk Warriors in the Round of 16 in 2019. Hilal came on as a late substitute in that match and feels he and his team mates can take revenge.

“I believe in my team and I believe in myself. We know they have really good players and… most of the team play in Europe but Saudi Arabia beat Argentina in the World Cup to show that anything is possible in football.

“I really hope for this tournament that I will be healthy because I think I am more than ever ready to help my country. It is my duty to do that and I know that if I am fit, I can help us out of our group again. That is pressure that I love to put in.”