Despite having been the third-choice player at his position, injuries to two of his teammates in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League not only paved the way for Abahani left-back Alomgir Mollah in cementing his place in the starting eleven but the 22-year-old went on to earn a call-up to the national team's 27-member preliminary squad for the upcoming 2023 Tri Nations Cup at home.

"Initially I did not expect a national call-up. My first target was to perform consistently for the club so that the opportunity arrives automatically. It finally happened, I think," Alomgir told The Daily Star yesterday before leaving for Saudi Arabia with the men in red and green for a preparation camp ahead of the tri-nation tournament, involving Seychelles and Brunei.

Alomgir was drafted in the starting eleven during Abahani's fourth league match against Bangladesh Police FC after Rahmat Mia, fielding at the left-back in place of the injured first-choice Nurul Nayeem Faisal, had to vacate his role to play the right-back role in place of Sushanta Tripura who was also sidelined due to injury. 

Since then, Alomgir played consecutive seven league matches and one Federation Cup match and went on to feature even when Faisal returned from injury.

At the moment, clubmate Rahmat Mia and Bashundhara Kings' Rimon Hossain are ahead of Alomgir in the national football squad's pecking order, leaving him again in the third-choice left-back slot.

Asked if he can enter the final squad, the lad from Jhenaidah said, "For sure, no one will leave his place for me. I have to earn it through hard work. Getting a place in the preliminary squad of the national team has already been a big achievement for me, but I'll give my highest effort to secure a place in the main squad and then in the playing eleven. "

Alomgir, interestingly, had not featured in any lower division leagues -- including second-tier Bangladesh Championship League -- as he directly played in the BPL for Muktijoddha Sangsad in 2018.

Following three seasons at Muktijoddha, he joined Mohammedan Sporting Club in the 2021-22 season before signing for another crowd-pulling Abahani before the current season began. "I knew no footballer can increase his value without playing for the national team, and that it is also tough to grab attention by playing for minnows like Muktijoddha Sangsad," said the freshman at the Dhaka University's World Religions and Culture department.

Alomgir has the experience of being drafted in the preliminary squads of the national U-18, U-19 and U-23 teams but his failure to advance beyond also drove him to work harder.

He wished to remain in the national circuit for long as a lot of players have been going in and out under Spanish coach Javier Cabrera.

"Now competition is very high among the national players, so I will definitely not want to get out of the national team after getting the call," said Alomgir as he went on to address his strengths.

"As a left-back, my first priority is to defend and then think of attacking the opponents. However, I have to increase the strength of my right foot."