Having endured a turbulent time at Swindon Town over the last two seasons, Yaser Kasim has finally left The Robins in search of a new club to reignite his career. The Iraqi international has found his career plateauing following a difficult time with the national team and ongoing fitness issues.

Voted as the best Iraqi expat footballer in 2015, Yaser Kasim was considered a certainty to take over the captaincy once Younis Mahmoud called it a day on his illustrious international career. The midfielder was even touted by Nashat Akram to be his long term replacement after the player showed exceptional qualities during the 2015 Asian Cup tournament.

However, after his promising start, the player’s rise to stardom was prematurely disrupted following a series of difficult events. Yaser is now looking to turn over a new leaf at Northampton Town, who finished 16th in League One last season. The player rejected a contract extension with Swindon and instead opted to sign a new two year deal with Northampton.

“In his time at Swindon the form he showed led to him being linked with Premier League clubs and we believe we can help him produce those displays on a consistent basis in a Northampton Town shirt.

We have a very good player on our hands and we are sure he will prove an excellent addition to the squad. We have been looking for this type of player who balances well with the other midfield players at the club and we are delighted to have signed Yaser.” – Justin Edinburgh, Northampton Town manager

Although a good move given that Swindon were also relegated, the transfer still indicates a lack of progression for Yaser, who will continue to play at the same level he has been at for the past few years. Yaser made 130 appearances with Swindon Town but was regularly linked with moves away from his old side. Bristol City, Charlton Athletic and an unnamed Spanish club were all linked with Yaser over the summer, which indicated the midfielder was preparing to step his game up a level. This was not to be the case unfortunately and his move to Northampton Town seems extremely underwhelming given the player’s ability.

It is not the first time that Yaser has had a big deal fall through either. It was only last season that his move to Premier League side Swansea City fell through in the last seconds following an agreed £1 million transfer deal. After the deal had fallen through, Yaser’s form suffered badly and he struggled to get back into the Swindon side.

Yaser is clearly an ambitious player who wants to play at the highest level, but looking at his current form and attitude, it would be difficult to argue that he deserves to be at a Premier League club. The midfielder needs to reestablish his name and continue working his way up in the game, with or without being a member of the Iraqi national team. However, at the mature age of 26, Yaser cannot afford to get this transfer wrong.

We wish Yaser a successful spell at Northampton Town and hope he proves his doubters wrong. Let us hope that Northampton Town are the right club to help him find his love for the game once again and eventually see his return to the national team. Good luck, Yaser!