Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Yasin Ayari says he is helping new team-mate Zadok Yohanna adapt to life at the club and on England’s south coast.
The move to the Premier League can present a significant adjustment for players arriving from different footballing environments, with the pace, culture and intensity of the competition all creating new challenges.
Ayari believes his shared background with Yohanna has helped make the transition easier. Both players have experience of Swedish football, while Yohanna also knows AIK and previously played alongside Ayari’s brother.
“It’s fun having someone who has played in Sweden, who knows AIK and also played with my brother,” Ayari told Expressen.
“So it’s fun that he has come to Brighton and trains with us and plays with us. I have tried to help him as much as I can.”
Ayari said that support has extended beyond training, as Yohanna becomes familiar with both the club and his new surroundings.
The Brighton midfielder was also asked about Yohanna’s readiness and what might happen when he returns, although he stressed that it was too early to make a firm judgement because the player has made only a limited number of appearances.
“It’s difficult to say because he hasn’t played that many matches. So we’ll see when he comes back. We can analyse it after that,” Ayari said.
“We’ll see. Maybe everyone doesn’t need to take that route. He might be ready, I don’t know. But we’ll see.”