Argentinian striker Mauro Zarate was the young face that  Qatari football aficionados were seeking to propel the image of the local scene and entice other European youngsters to plunge into the Qatari League.

They succeeded, albeit for a brief period. The 20-year-old signed for Al-Sadd but it wasn't long before he had visions of playing in the Premier League - and he has now joined Birmingham City on a season-long loan deal, with a view to making the move permanent.

The loan option was partly fuelled by the player's demand to move out of Qatar. Christian Otero, Zarate''s agent , said: “He wanted to leave Qatar and is delighted to be back in a big league. He is an outstanding player and will show that.”

'With an estimated predominantly migrant population of 8,000,000, Qatar remains one of Asian football's enigmas, particularly at the youth level'


Although signing off from the Q-League with a goal in second-placed Al-Sadd’s recent astonishing 4-0 demolition of league leader Gharrafa, it is widely acknowledged that the young Argentinian did not show his best form in Doha, while making 12 appearances for the club, in the ten-team Qatar National League

Zarate was a member of the Argentina team that won the 2007 FIFA Under-20 World Cup, scoring the winning goal in the final against the Czech Republic. He was very highly rated in his homeland and it was a surprise when he left Valez Sarsfield last summer and accepted a move to Al Saad in a deal worth close to $20m. But he never had a settled run in the team.

There were differences of opinion about the player's ability between the club administrators and their Dutch coach, who suggested that he was too much of an individualist and not a team player.

The move to Birmingham could prove crucial to Zarate's career. Under the spotlight in the Premier League, he is likely to be judged much more effectively than in the Arabic backwaters of international football -[ and a move to a bigger European club is probably his eventual objective.

Whatever happens, it seems unlikely that Zarate will return to Qatar at the end of his loan deal and Al-Sadd will be looking to recoup some of the QAR70m that they have paid for his services.

Qatar has the world's third-largest natural gas reserves and the highest per capita income. This small country has been raking in the oil dollars and the football-crazy Qataris yearn for top-class football action. Nigerian Jay-Jay Okocha, Cameroonian Bill Tchato and Australian Tony Popovic were among the big-name players attracted to the Persian Gulf.

Argentina superstar Gabriel Batistuta, former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf, Brazilian World Cup winner Romario and Manchester City's Ali Benarbia have all played in the state in past seasons.

With an estimated predominantly migrant population of 8,000,000, Qatar remains one of Asian football's enigmas, particularly at the youth level. They advanced to the final at the 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship, but lost to the then West Germany. They had qualified for the FIFA event after finishing second in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-20 Championship, losing to South Korea in the final.

In 1990, Qatar finished fourth in the FIFA Under-17 Championship. Earlier that year, they were champions in the AFC Under-17 Championship, in which they were runners in 1984, 1986, 1992, 1994 and 1998. At senior level they won the Gulf Cup twice in 1992 and 2004. They also qualified for the Asian Cup finals in 1980, 1984, 1988, 1996, 2000 and 2004. Their crowning glory came when they hosted, and won, the Asian Games in 2006.