From Saddam Hussein to Swansea City: Striker Ali Al-Hamadi's incredible journey

He was forced to flee war-torn Iraq after his father was imprisoned by Saddam Hussein.

Born in the Middle East but shaped on Merseyside, Ali Al-Hamadi is now determined to fly the Iraqi flag while playing for a football club in Wales.

The striker, 17, has made a positive impression at Swansea City, the club he joined from Tranmere Rovers in 2018.

Having swapped the Iraqi province of Missan for Liverpool - Toxteth to be precise - Al-Hamadi fell in with the wrong crowd.

But he refocused on football and education, and reckons studying an 'A' level in physics will help when it comes to striking a ball.

This is not your average academy youngster.

Al-Hamadi's father, Ibrahim, was training to be a lawyer when the Iraq War began in 2003.

"Dad was part of a peaceful protest against Saddam Hussein's dictatorship," Al-Hamadi explains.

"One day, his group were taken and put into prison. I think anyone who was against the dictatorship was going to get rounded up.

"Through a few different people they were able to contact the Iraqi embassy in the UK. They explained their situation, saying: 'Listen, there are people here being tortured - brutal stuff that you wouldn't expect in this day and age'.

"My dad could tell you what he saw. The thing he says to me is the fact that we are here now and is a testament to how much he cares about us as a family.

"He went through that and at the same time my mum had to sacrifice a lot, moving away from her country when she was only 20-odd years old and couldn't speak any English.

"She couldn't finish her education - she had to come here and make a fresh start. It's been a long journey but I am just happy I am here. I need to grasp my opportunity."

A toddler when his father was jailed, Al-Hamadi initially fled to Jordan with his mother, Asseel Mohssen, before the family were reunited in Britain.

Al-Hamadi has relatives in Iraq, however, and has been back to visit.

"As you can imagine, it's completely different to this country," he says.

"You go there and see the standard of living. You feel like there is no hope for people. That is why every day I try to appreciate what I have here."

That is not to say life has been easy since the move to Britain.

"Moving to a different country is hard," Al-Hamadi says in a thick Scouse accent.

"On top of that I was thrown into quite a rough area. Growing up playing on the streets, you get to see all of it.

"You get drawn into it sometimes. I have had periods where I was hanging around with the wrong group of kids - staying out late, causing trouble.

"But I am quite proud to say that from within myself I realised that's not what I wanted to do.

"When I got to secondary school I said that's it, I am going to change my life, I am going to concentrate on my studies and follow my dream to be a professional footballer."

Al-Hamadi attended Liverpool College, securing four A*s, four As and a B in his GCSEs.

"It was a stressful summer, staying up until 5am drinking energy drinks to do my revision, but you have to work hard to get results," he says.

Having moved to Wales last summer, Al-Hamadi began A-levels in physics and maths.

Studies have been put on hold because of footballing commitments, but he hopes to complete his physics course next season.

"If you are educated off the pitch I think it will help you on it," Al-Hamadi adds.

"I have complete belief I can make it in football, but I have always said that in football there are things you can think about mechanically.

"Obviously there is the way you strike the ball - you need to know your angles.

"The fine details are going to help you succeed, like how many degrees your foot is pointing in a certain direction.

"The best players in the world look at fine details and I try to do the same. It's better than sitting on your Playstation."

Al-Hamadi came to prominence as a footballer when he played for Liverpool Schoolboys at the age of 13.

He was looked at by both Everton and Liverpool before joining Tranmere's under-14s.

There was the offer of a contract at Prenton Park at the end of the 2017-18 season, but Al-Hamadi opted for a two-year scholarship at Swansea.

His parents, plus a brother and sister born since the move from Iraq, remain in Liverpool.

"I have had to grow up quite quickly," Al-Hamadi says, "but I thought coming to a category-one academy would be best for my development."

Al-Hamadi's first Swans season was hampered by injuries, yet he made an impression.

"He is a very bright kid," says Alan Tate, the former Swansea player now coaching in the club's academy.

"He has a strong family background of working hard and that shows every day in training. He always wants to do more and is always asking questions.

"His background has shaped him. It's hard to say at this age - you can never say 100 per cent because there are so many variables - but his work ethic gives him a chance of forging out a career."

Should he reach the first team, Al-Hamadi will join the small group of Iraqi footballers who have made a mark in Europe.

The Premier League has never had an Iraqi player, although goalkeeper Shwan Jalal was on Tottenham's books before playing for the likes of Bournemouth, Macclesfield and Wrexham.

Midfielder Yaser Kasim impressed for a spell at Swindon and then joined Northampton, who he left earlier this year.

The majority of Iraq's national squad play in the Middle East.

Al-Hamadi has had contact from the Iraq Football Association, but has not yet represented the land of his birth and also qualifies for England.

"I can't remember living in Iraq, but I have that connection and I feel like it is my country and my people," he says.

"I want to make sure I can put Iraq on the map."