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Rabat – Moroccan professional footballer Nayef Aguerd, who plays as a center-back for Premier League club West Ham United, has said that Moroccan head coach Walid Regragui was the one who helped him when he was 17, emphasizing that he [Regragui] has done a “fantastic job” as a coach.
“Walid gave me my chance at club level at the age of 17. I knew he’d succeed as head coach, and he had dreamt of being a national coach since I met him,” Aguerd told West Ham United in a recent interview.
Aguerd expressed gratitude to Regragui for his help from an early age while praising his professionalism, saying, “He is very professional, and if a player deserves his spot, he’ll get it.” Aguerd said.
Aguerd, a Kenitra native, began playing football at Sale’s Mohammed VI Football Academy, unaware that he would later sign with a Premier League team, play in a historic World Cup, and receive the prestigious Order of the Throne from the King.
“As a kid, you dream to meet His Majesty King Mohammed VI. As a kid from the streets of Kenitra, it was special. I had the chance to meet him twice, it was amazing,” Aguerd enthused.
Aguerd said that he keeps the Order of the Throne safely at home, stressing that it’s something that “will live with him forever.”
The English Club highlighted Aguerd’s stellar performance during the 2022 World Cup, saying, “Aguerd is not only known to every Hammer, but every football fan on the planet after excelling as part of Morocco’s historic run to the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup finals.”
Earlier this month, Aguerd was featured in a documentary that explored his inspiring journey from playing in the streets of Kenitra to joining Premier League team West Ham as a center-back.
Read Also: Nayef Aguerd’s Inspiring Journey: ‘A Hollywood Story for Moroccan Kids’
