When Zidane Iqbal shared the story of his journey to the Manchester United first-team last month, he emphasised the role of futsal in his development. At United since nine, his experiences at Manchester Futsal Club had been just as important. It was there on those Monday evenings, the 19-year- old explained, that he had learned to be brave on the ball in tight spaces, to never hide on the pitch, to be comfortable using his skills in one-on-one situations. All qualities that are essential in modern football. Iqbal ran rings around other kids, says first coach Hamer Zidane credits his father for introducing him to both games. Aamar Iqbal did it for a reason. "I always wanted Zee to be an intelligent footballer," he tells Sky Sports. "That was one of the key reasons. Futsal was a key ingredient in Zee's development as a footballer." What is clear is that it worked. Last season, Zidane became the first British South Asian to play in the Champions League when introduced as a substitute against Young Boys. At Manchester Futsal Club, there is pride to be associated with such a talent

Simon Wright is chief executive and founder of the club. He has put his heart and soul into it for over a decade now and is thrilled to see futsal growing. "That was my vision," he tells Sky Sports. "Can I land this sport in this crazy football city and see if we can exist?" That will always remain his focus. "Our purpose is to develop futsal players for Manchester." But playing a part in the development of high-profile footballers like Zidane is both satisfying in itself and also serves as a fine example of what his club is able to offer. Manchester United news | Fixtures | ResultsZidane

 Iqbal pens long-term Man Utd deal "At first, we were getting players from academies who were thinking, 'I am a small, technical player and I don't think I'm going to make it in semi-pro and it is not where I want to go.' Futsal was an outlet for them. Now kids are accessing it much younger. "The children that access us from the age of eight to 16, there is a high proportion of academy players at City and United among them now because they see it as an element they want to have in their game. Zidane is a good example of that

"Futsal is part of his journey and there are many other young football players who are now having that exposure to the game too. What attracts a lot of these young players and their parents to our club now is that it is adding to their development

"Futsal can be an accelerator for some of those elements that the modern footballer needs. There is a lot of one-on-one, three-on-three, and you need confidence to try things in tight spaces. These are repeated and executed a lot in a futsal environment. "And we are seeing more and more overlaying elements in modern football now. Highly tactical. Lots of rotations. Triangles. If you were to watch City, they want players who can rotate, a right-back who can play midfield. You have to be multi- positional