• Home
• /
• Sports
• /
• Local Sports

Al Shabab sign Dutch striker Boymans

Al Shabab's preparations for the new Arabian Gulf League season have begun in right earnest with The Hawks signing Dutch forward Ruud Boymans.
Boymans becomes the first arrival at the Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium after Al Shabab installed another Dutchman Fred Rutten as their new manager. The 27-year-old Boymans is understood to have successfully passed a medical in Dubai and has penned a three-year deal with the Al Mamzar club.
The prolific striker joins from Dutch Eredivisie side FC Utrecht. It is believed that Boymans has a contract with FC Utrecht until 2018 and it is not known how much Al Shabab have paid for the striker. Boymans has a current market value of £ 750,000 (Dh 4,010,314).
Boymans began his career with Fortuna Sittard where he made 46 appearances and scored 12 goals. He then played for VVV-Venlo where he scored 15 goals in 46 appearances.
The tall striker then joined AZ Alkmaar on a four-year deal but couldn't break into the first 11. His lack of playing time meant he was loaned out to NEC and then Willem II, where he had his most successful spell. He went on to score 27 goals in 36 appearances to help Willem II win the Eerste Divisie.
Boymans signed a four-year contract with FC Utrecht but injuries limited his appearances to just 24 where he scored 19 goals.
Al Shabab, who were eyeing third before eventually going on to finish fifth in last season's Arabian Gulf League, parted ways with Caio Junior, who also had served as interim manager with Al Jazira.
The Hawks replaced Junior with Rutten, who has had two stints with Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, once as assistant. The 53-year-old has also coached Feyenoord and German club Schalke 04.
Al Shabab are set to retain their Moldova-born forward Henrique Luvannor, who scored nine goals and had eight assists in 23 Arabian Gulf League fixtures last season. The 26-year-old has a contract until 2018.
Their long-serving captain and former Chilean international Carlos Villanueva has left after seven years with the club during which the former Blackburn Rovers midfielder made 117 appearances and scored 31 goals.
Al Shabab's hopes of Luvannor and Brazilian striker Juninho Potiguar forming an attacking partnership like they did in Moldova, has not gone according to plan and The Hawks are set to let go of Potiguar, who was brought on loan from Sheriff Tiraspol during the January transfer window.
Meanwhile, Emirati striker Essa Obaid has left Al Shabab to join newly-promoted side Hatta. - james@khaleejtimes.com