Easy 10
Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Interesting article here in the Arsenal v Charlton programme from a few seasons back, when Shaaban had just signed for Arsenal:
It is fair to say that Rami Shaaban's professional career has not followed a typical path. The 25 year old goalkeeper joined the Gunners last month for a nominal fee from Swedish first division club Djurgardens, but that is only a small part of the story for the young swede.
Half egyption on his fathers side, Rami was born and raised in Cairo, where he stayed until the age of 18 working on his fathers camel ranch. "It was hard work" said Rami. "Especially during the months of May to September, when I would have to get up at 5am every day and help my father milk up to sixty female camels. My mother would help wipe down the camel udders, bottle the milk and make yoghurt with figs. Then we would to drive to the markets to sell it. Many times I would say 'father, why do we not take the camels to market and milk them there, on request ?' But he would say 'no my son, we must not be seen touching camels. We do it here and take the milk and fig yoghurt in bottles'. He is a very proud man.
At 18, Rami and his parents emigrated to his mothers native country Sweden, where they lived in Stockholm. It is here that Rami began playing in goal for his school football team, but his early goalkeeping career almost never got off the ground. "I was always interested in acting" said Rami, "and I went to an audition for a part in a TV show called 'Du Gyurgne Medglanaase", which was the swedish version of The Young Doctors. The part I went for was just a small one, where I would be a young man injured in an accident involving a diseased vietnamese pot-bellied pig and a hedge trimmer. But the audition went well, and I got offered a two year contract playing a hospital maintenance engineer who has a long-running affair with a one-eyed albino bisexual ward administrator. It was well paid and it was good experience, I really enjoyed it" said Rami.
Rami's acting career was cut short though when 'Du Gyurgne Medglanaase' was unexpectedly cancelled just six months after Rami joined the cast, following public outrage over an episode involving an organ transplant between a human patient and a baboon. "I thought that plot raised all sorts of important questions over organ transplants and the ethics behind the use of gibbons during surgery" said Rami. "But I think the swedish public just wern't quite ready to accept monkey surgery on their screens. I'm still proud of my time on the show, but looking back now, the show being cancelled was the best thing that could have happened for me".
Indeed. For 'Du Gyurgne Medglanaase's loss was Rami's gain when he was spotted by local first division club Djurgardens, when playing in school cup match. "I had a good game, and I saved three penalties in the shootout. We were playing against the Stockholm & District Under 10's, but they had some good players back then, and their centre-forward was the son of Anders Limpar. I got a hand to his penalty but couldn't quite keep it out. It didn't matter in the end though, we won and after the game I was offered a trial at Djurgardens". Following a successful trial, Rami went on to play 66 times for Djurgardens, including five appearances in the UEFA Cup. But when Arsenal came in with an offer for the young stopper, Rami had no hesitation in joining the Gunners.
"Arsenal are a great club" said Rami. "I know I'm behind some exceptional keepers here in David Seaman and Richard Wright, but Arsene has such a kind leathery face, I just know he'll give me my chance here and I'll be ready when it comes".
We certainly hope so, Rami.
It is fair to say that Rami Shaaban's professional career has not followed a typical path. The 25 year old goalkeeper joined the Gunners last month for a nominal fee from Swedish first division club Djurgardens, but that is only a small part of the story for the young swede.
Half egyption on his fathers side, Rami was born and raised in Cairo, where he stayed until the age of 18 working on his fathers camel ranch. "It was hard work" said Rami. "Especially during the months of May to September, when I would have to get up at 5am every day and help my father milk up to sixty female camels. My mother would help wipe down the camel udders, bottle the milk and make yoghurt with figs. Then we would to drive to the markets to sell it. Many times I would say 'father, why do we not take the camels to market and milk them there, on request ?' But he would say 'no my son, we must not be seen touching camels. We do it here and take the milk and fig yoghurt in bottles'. He is a very proud man.
At 18, Rami and his parents emigrated to his mothers native country Sweden, where they lived in Stockholm. It is here that Rami began playing in goal for his school football team, but his early goalkeeping career almost never got off the ground. "I was always interested in acting" said Rami, "and I went to an audition for a part in a TV show called 'Du Gyurgne Medglanaase", which was the swedish version of The Young Doctors. The part I went for was just a small one, where I would be a young man injured in an accident involving a diseased vietnamese pot-bellied pig and a hedge trimmer. But the audition went well, and I got offered a two year contract playing a hospital maintenance engineer who has a long-running affair with a one-eyed albino bisexual ward administrator. It was well paid and it was good experience, I really enjoyed it" said Rami.
Rami's acting career was cut short though when 'Du Gyurgne Medglanaase' was unexpectedly cancelled just six months after Rami joined the cast, following public outrage over an episode involving an organ transplant between a human patient and a baboon. "I thought that plot raised all sorts of important questions over organ transplants and the ethics behind the use of gibbons during surgery" said Rami. "But I think the swedish public just wern't quite ready to accept monkey surgery on their screens. I'm still proud of my time on the show, but looking back now, the show being cancelled was the best thing that could have happened for me".
Indeed. For 'Du Gyurgne Medglanaase's loss was Rami's gain when he was spotted by local first division club Djurgardens, when playing in school cup match. "I had a good game, and I saved three penalties in the shootout. We were playing against the Stockholm & District Under 10's, but they had some good players back then, and their centre-forward was the son of Anders Limpar. I got a hand to his penalty but couldn't quite keep it out. It didn't matter in the end though, we won and after the game I was offered a trial at Djurgardens". Following a successful trial, Rami went on to play 66 times for Djurgardens, including five appearances in the UEFA Cup. But when Arsenal came in with an offer for the young stopper, Rami had no hesitation in joining the Gunners.
"Arsenal are a great club" said Rami. "I know I'm behind some exceptional keepers here in David Seaman and Richard Wright, but Arsene has such a kind leathery face, I just know he'll give me my chance here and I'll be ready when it comes".
We certainly hope so, Rami.
