Bangladeshi football fans were surprised three years ago when news broke that Saif Sporting Club imposed a release clause of $0.2m (16m taka) for a 15-year old defender.
The contract is now expired and so is that unprecedented clause in local football but three years later, Yasin Arafat became a national hero as he scored his first international goal to help his side salvage a draw against mighty India in the Saff Championship group stage match.
Yasin possesses a modern full-back’s most important quality - overlapping with intent - and the fleet-footed teenager proved his brilliance at Male National Stadium in the 73rd minute, when he was left unmarked in the right side of the Indian penalty box and coolly placed a header home from the deflection of a corner taken from the left flank.
Bangladesh were trailing 1-0 and were playing with 10 men as right-back Bishwanath Ghosh received his marching orders in the 57th minute.
Yasin showed his talent from a very early age as he was a member of the U-12 in 2015 and U-14 in 2016.
Both the sides won the Mock Cup in Malaysia.
He led Bangladesh side in the AFC U-16 in 2017 when the boys in red and green beat Asian powerhouse Qatar.
The teenager, who hails from Narayanganj, also played for U-23 side.
Bangladesh national team's interim coach Oscar Bruzon usually places a lot of faith on Yasin as he picked him in the XI for both the India and Sri Lanka game, which Bangladesh won 1-0.
