Shekh Morsalin ( bn, শেখ মোরসালিন; born 25 November 2005) is a Bangladeshi professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

who plays as an

attacking midfielder A midfielder is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As #Cent ...

for

Bangladesh Premier League The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) ( bn, বাংলাদেশ প্রিমিয়ার লীগ) is a professional Twenty20 cricket league consisting of seven franchises. The BPL is one of the three professional cricket leagues in ...

club

Bashundhara Kings Bashundhara Kings ( bn, বসুন্ধরা কিংস) is a professional football team based in Bashundhara Residential Area, Dhaka, Bangladesh. They clinched the title of the 2017 Bangladesh Championship League, the second tier of th ...

and the Bangladesh national team. A versatile player, Morsalin can also play as a

central midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...

and

false nine Forwards (also known as attackers) are outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals as well as assisting them. As with any attacking player, the role ...

Early career

Born in

Charbhadrasan Upazila Charbhadrasan or Char Bhadrasan ( bn, চরভদ্রাসন) is an upazila of Faridpur District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Geography Charbhadrasan is located at . It has 12415 households and total area 141.59 km2. The Geograp ...

of Faridpur District, Morsalin started playing local football tournaments while still only being a 6th grade student of Adarsh Secondary School. In 2014, when trials for the U-12 national football team were held in Charbhadrasan, Morsalin caught the eye of veteran coach Abul Kashem Bholer. However, due to family problems, Morsalin was unable to join the main camp. In 2015, with the help of his uncle Subahan Rahman, Morsalin's career resumed, when the BFF youth football coach Abdur Razzak saw his potential during a trial and included him in the U-13 national team, for the Mogh Cup held in

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. In 2016, Morsalin was admitted to

Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP) ( bn, বাংলাদেশ ক্রীড়া শিক্ষা প্রতিষ্ঠান, Bangladesh Institute of Sports Education) is the national sports institute of Bangladesh. It is res ...

(BKSP), where he continued his education while playing for BKSP's football team in different tournaments, including the 9th

Bangladesh Games Bangladesh Games is the largest domestic multi-sport tournament in Bangladesh where athletes and sports teams from all the districts of Bangladesh participate. Initiated in 1978, the event went into a hiatus after being held for the 7th time in ...

, in 2020. During the tournament, he managed to score a notable brace against Satkhira District football team, in the third place playoff. In 2019, he scored six goals in India's

Subroto Cup Subroto Cup International Football Tournament is a prestigious international inter-school football tournament that is held annually in New Delhi, India. The tournament held annually since 1960, is named after the Indian Air Force Air Marshal S ...

to become the U-17 tournament's second top scorer.

Club career

Alamgir Somaj Kollayan KS

After the 2019–20 Dhaka Third Division League was delayed due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, BKSP coaches arranged Morsalin's move to Alamgir Somaj Kollayan KS, to participate in the delayed league season in 2021. In his first year playing domestic football, Morsalin captained the club to promotion as league champions, and also finished the season as top scorer, with 19 goals from 16 matches. During the season, he also registered a hat-trick against Araf Sporting and a super hat-trick against Asaduzzman FA. In 2021, Morsalin was among the 35 preliminary selected players for

FC Bayern Munich Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), also known as FC Bayern (), Bayern Munich, or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional men's football team, which play ...

's World Squad, however, he failed to make the final team.

Bashundhara Kings

2021–22 season: Mohammedan SC (loan)

On 25 November 2021, Morsalin joined

club

on a three-year contract. While still being a student at BKSP, the initial plan for Morsalin was to train at the club for three years under foreign coaches, and then play in the Premier League. However, club president Imrul Hassan sent him on loan to Mohammedan SC, during the mid season transfer window, to give him game time. On 20 April 2022, Morsalin joined Mohammedan SC on loan. The 16-year-old made his Premier League debut on 22 June 2022, in a

Dhaka Derby The Dhaka Derby is a football rivalry between the Dhaka teams of Abahani and Mohammedan, although the rivalry was bigger in the past, it is still considered to be the biggest game in the country's domestic football scene. Mohammedan was founded ...

match, which Mohammedan lost 2–4. In the following game on 27 June, he scored his first goal for the club in a 3–1 win over Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi. On 1 July 2022, Morsalin scored a long-range strike against his parent club Bashundhara Kings. His goal earned national recognition and went viral on social media. Even after securing a regular place at the Mohammedan SC starting eleven, Morsalin expressed his desire to return to his parent club, stating in an interview ''"I want to focus on coming back to Bashundhara Kings from my loan, be a regular starter there and eventually make it in the Bangladesh national football team. And I've got long-term dreams of playing in a foreign league too if possible in the future.''"

2022–23 season: Return to Kings

On 5 December 2022, Morsalin made his debut for Bashundhara Kings, during the 2022–23 Independence Cup final against Sheikh Russel KC. After 2–2 draw, Kings won the game on penalties, as Morsalin claimed his first title with the club. On 26 May 2023, he netted his first goal for the club in a 6–4 victory over Sheikh Russel KC. He also registered two assists against Mohammedan SC in the following league fixture, on 2 June 2023. Morsalin's performances in these two games got him called up to the national team camp ahead of the

2023 SAFF Championship The 2023 SAFF Championship will be the 14th edition of the SAFF Championship which is likely to be held in 2023. Host selection Bids Football Sri Lanka initially expressed their interest to bid for hosting the tournament, at the SAFF Executive C ...

2023–24 season: Disciplinary issues

On 15 August 2023, Morsalin made his continental football debut by coming on as an 84th minute substitute during a 0–2 defeat against Sharjah FC in the

2023–24 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs The 2023–24 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs were played from 15 to 22 August 2023. A total of 21 teams competed in the qualifying play-offs to decide eight places in the group stage of the 2023–24 AFC Champions League. Teams The fol ...

. On 19 September 2023, he made the starting eleven as Kings were trashed 1–3 by Maziya in the

2023–24 AFC Cup The 2023–24 AFC Cup will be the 20th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). This is the first ever AFC Cup season to have a two-year (autumn-to-spring) schedule, i ...

. On 20 September 2023, Morsalin and four of his teammates were discovered to have illegally brought in 64 bottles of alcohol by customs officials at Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. This incident occurred upon their return from the Maldives after defeat in the AFC Cup. Despite the initial indefinite suspension of the players, Morsalin, who was reported to be carrying 10 bottles, had his suspension lifted after receiving a Tk 1 lakh fine from his club. Nonetheless, Morsalin was excluded from the national squad for the

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC first round The AFC first round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, which also served as the first round of 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification, was played from 12 to 17 October 2023. Format A total of twenty teams were drawn into ten home-and-away ties, th ...

. He was also left out of the Kings squad for an away fixture against Odisha FC in the AFC Cup. On 28 October 2023, he returned to the pitch by coming on as a second-half substitute against

Bangladesh Navy The Bangladesh Navy ( bn, বাংলাদেশ নৌবাহিনী, Bangladesh Nou Bahini) is the naval warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, responsible for Bangladesh's of maritime territorial area, and the defence of imp ...

in the 2023 Independence Cup.

International career

Morsalin was a late inclusion to the 35-member preliminary squad for the

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, by Spanish coach Javier Cabrera. Despite being the youngest player, he made it into the final 23-member squad for the tournament. On 15 June 2023, he made his international debut by coming on as a 70th minute substitute for

Jamal Bhuyan Jamal Harris Bhuyan ( bn, জামাল হ্যারিস ভূইয়া; born 10 April 1990) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bangladesh Premier League club Sheikh Russel KC. Born in Denmark, he represents as ...

in a 1–0 victory over

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...

. On 25 June 2023, he scored his first international goal in a 3–1 victory over

Maldives Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...

, in the 2023 SAFF Championship. In the following game, he scored the equaliser as Bangladesh came from behind to defeat

Bhutan Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainous ...

3–1. The victory confirmed the country's berth in the semi-finals of the tournament for the first time in 14 years. He continued his SAFF Championship form by scoring against

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

in a friendly match held in

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...

on 7 September 2023. After missing the

first round First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...

, Morsalin returned to the national team, coming on as a substitute against

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

during a 0–7 defeat in the

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC second round 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

Personal life

In 2023, Morsalin graduated from

(BKSP) with a with a 5.00

GPA Grading in education is the process of applying standardized measurements for varying levels of achievements in a course. Grades can be assigned as letters (usually A through F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), as a percentage, or as a numbe ...

in his HSC examinations. He has stated his interest in pursuing higher studies alongside playing professional football, and also that he has had the full support of his club,

. In September 2023, Morsalin was admitted to

Dhaka University The University of Dhaka (also known as Dhaka University, or DU) is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the oldest university in Bangladesh. The university opened its doors to students on July 1st 1921. Currently i ...

under its sports quota.

Style of play

During 2021–22, Morsalin was regarded as the "discovery of the season" by local news outlets. A midfielder who prefers to keep the ball under his control, Morsalin is seen as a versatile player, someone that can play as a striker, or an attacking midfielder, and although the lack of pace, his technical dribbling also makes him an asset on the wings. Morsalin revealed that he tries to follow

Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...

midfielder Kevin De Bruyne’s style of play, stating in an interview, that during his time at BKSP he regularly watched the Belgian midfielder's videos online. Morsalin also has the ability to score long-range goals, which was evident after his goal against

during his debut season in the Bangladesh Premier League. Right-footed Morsalin was mainly used as creative midfielder during his loan spell at Mohammedan SC.

Career statistics

Club

International

International goals

:''Scores and results list Bangladesh's goal tally first.''

Honours

Alamgir Somaj Kollayan KS * Dhaka Third Division League: 2019–20 Bashundhara Kings *

2022–23 The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen b ...

* Independence Cup:

; runner-up:

2021-22 Increment or incremental may refer to: *Incrementalism, a theory (also used in politics as a synonym for gradualism) *Increment and decrement operators, the operators ++ and -- in computer programming *Incremental computing *Incremental backup, wh ...

Federation Cup Federation Cup or Fed Cup is the former name of the premier world team competition in women's tennis. Federation Cup may also refer to: * Capital Football Federation Cup, an Australian territory-based association football tournament *Federation Cup ...

third place:

Individual * Dhaka Third Division League top scorer: 2019–20

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Morsalin, Shekh Living people 2005 births Bangladeshi men's footballers Mohammedan SC (Dhaka) players Bashundhara Kings players Bangladesh men's international footballers Men's association football midfielders People from Faridpur District Bangladesh Premier League footballers Sportspeople from Dhaka Division