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Bahrain's newly-appointed football coach Salman Sharida is demanding his players show the same determination and desire to succeed as he has displayed throughout his career.
He kicked balls around the streets of Muharraq with his soccer-mad brothers before setting off on a golden career as a player and manager with his home-town club.
And, he is urging players and fans to put aside their World Cup misery and focus on the immediate challenges the country faces in the coming Gulf Cup and Asian Cup Finals.
"I am not a stranger here," he told GulfWeekly. "This is my home. In fact the players were excited when they heard I would be coaching them because most of them know how I work and others respect my work. I received many text messages of support.
"As for the World Cup Finals, yes we may have twice been one step away from qualifying and lost but we can learn from those experiences and now is the time to move on.
"We know we can get there - we simply have to keep working hard and keep moving forward.
"What the Bahrain team did was fantastic because they showed the world that 'hey, we are here'. The journey created a buzz and brought the country a lot of recognition on the way. At this stage we need to focus on the Gulf Cup and the Asian Cup Finals.
"I am not a miracle worker, I do not have a magic wand, but what I have is experience and a good work ethic.
"I will train the players and build on their talents. I ask for the country to be patient and supportive. We can achieve great things together."
As reported in last week's GulfWeekly the Pakistan national team wanted his signature for a second spell in charge after the coach achieved further club success across the region. Ranked as one of the top five coaches in Asia, he was coaching Al Arabi in the UAE before Bahrain called on him to replace Josef Hickersberger who suddenly quit after a short spell in charge.
"When the kingdom asked me to help with the team's current situation I could not decline the call. I love my kingdom and will do whatever is needed," he said.
Bahrain play a home friendly against Syria on Sunday. They then kick off the Gulf Cup campaign on November 23 against fellow group 'B' side and defending champions Oman. The other two countries in their division are Iraq and the UAE.
Following the Gulf Cup, Bahrain must prepare for the Asian Cup, which kicks off in the first week of January.
