I was a child of divorce
in a new country,
the worst student in class,
and a footballer whose
career ended before it started.
Everything I have today,
I built alone.
This is the honest version. No PR spin. Just the journey — from a pitch in Tehran to 10 million people across the world.
Where It Started
The most important person in my life was my grandfather, Manouchehr Rowshan — one of the founding members of TaJ, one of the biggest football clubs in Asia to this day.
He taught me how to play football — including how to develop my weak foot, something most coaches never bother with. But more than the game, he gave me something far more valuable: he treated me with respect as a child and encouraged me to be an independent thinker. That stayed with me for life.
Football felt natural around him. Not pressure — just the air I breathed.
My uncle Hassan Rowshan is a national hero — the only Iranian player to score for his country in the Asian Cup, the World Cup, and the Olympics. Growing up with that legacy was both inspiring and, as I got older, something I felt the weight of.
I loved the game completely. I just didn't know yet that football isn't everything.
"He gave me respect as a child and encouraged me to think for myself. Everything I do with young players today starts there."
When the Game Ended
A severe knee injury ended my playing career before I finished high school. I shifted focus — studied, tried to build a life. I wasn't a good student. In fact, I was probably the worst in class. University wasn't much different.
But something shifted in my early 30s. I realised that real people depended on me — my players, their families. And if I was going to give them real answers, I needed to become someone with real knowledge.
I started studying obsessively. Attending courses. Reading. Learning. I gave almost all of my time to improving myself. I still do.
"I didn't learn for grades. I learned because real people needed better from me."
The worst student in class became someone who genuinely can't stop learning. Responsibility does that to you.
A New Home & A Distant Mentor
I've been in Dubai since 1993, when my mother moved here with my sister and me. It became home.
In 2009, I became one of the founding coaches of Arsenal Soccer School Dubai. I took that role because I was obsessed with Arsene Wenger's Arsenal. His thoughtfulness. His revolutionary way of treating football as a science. His wisdom, his calm — his class.
Working inside the Arsenal system, surrounded by that philosophy every day, sharpened how I think about developing young players. Not just technically — but as human beings.
"Wenger shaped how I think about coaching without ever knowing I exist. Some of the most influential people in your life will never know your name."
Why I Built Something of My Own
By 2015, I was tired. Tired of fighting inside a commercial system that looked at children like cash. Poor standards. Fake promises. Kids who deserved so much better.
So I left. And I built something from nothing.
No investors. No coaching staff. No one to help with admin or finances. Just me and the belief that I could create a better place for kids to develop. In the early years we were always full — but I was so focused on the football that I almost missed the fact that we were also a business that needed systems and sustainable finances to survive. That took years to figure out. Alone.
Today, Alliance Football Club is one of the leading youth football organisations in the Middle East. Over 5,000 players coached. A thriving girls' programme. International trips. A team I'm proud of every day.
"I didn't start Alliance to build a business. I started it because the existing system was failing kids."
Finding My Voice at Scale
In late 2020, I asked my staff to appear in videos. Nobody wanted to. So I did it myself.
I didn't plan to become a content creator. But when I started, I realised something: I could influence people at scale. Not to promote — but to genuinely add value. Every piece of content I make is for the audience, not for me.
That audience grew to over 10 million people across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat. In 2024, Instagram locked my account — 830,000 followers, gone overnight — after I spoke publicly about Gaza and the politics corrupting football.
I expected to feel devastated. I didn't.
"Nothing is permanent. Your voice is. Build on ground you own."
From CR7 to MR7
We both wear #7In December 2024, I received a signed shirt from Cristiano Ronaldo. Not something I asked for. A gesture he initiated — appreciation for the work I do with young players and families.
The shirt is inscribed: "To Mehran. Best wishes."
I had it framed. Then I brought it to the Alliance pitch and showed it to my players. Not to boast — but because I wanted them to see that doing the right thing, consistently, gets noticed. Even by the greatest of all time.
"I didn't need Ronaldo's approval. But I'd be lying if I said it didn't mean something."
That one meant a lot.
Football changed my life. Since 2015, I've been collecting and donating football gear to underprivileged kids around the world. No borders. No limits. Just football — where it's needed most.
What Drives Me
Sometimes I think about the kid in Tehran — on the pitch with his grandfather, not knowing anything about business or scale or influence. Just loving the game.
If that kid could see what this became, I think he'd say: well done. You did it without anyone helping you.
"That's enough for me."