When Jaime Siaj walks out at Amman International Stadium, wearing the Jordan national team kit, he knows he’ll be playing for more than just himself and his team. He’ll also be playing for his biggest fan: his father, Fathi.

“It’s an honor to represent my father’s roots and his family. He’s followed me since I was five years old and supported me every day and every game.

Jaime Siaj Romero was born and raised in Madrid, Spain where his mother is from. While it might have been a dream to one day represent the Spain national team, it was the Jordan Football Association who came calling this year.

“An agent contacted me on behalf of the FA to see if I was eligible. I talked it over with my parents, and they gave me the chance to get the passport through my father, which was easy to do. As soon as I gave the agent the OK, they let the federation know, and the federation directly contacted OKC Energy and me.”

Siaj made his debut with Jordan last May and scored in the 3-0 win over Cyprus. Now, he’s been selected again for the upcoming friendlies against Lebanon and Oman on September 6 and 11. These friendlies are crucial for Siaj and all of the players that have been called up, as the coaching staff is still trying to determine who will make the squad for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in January.

“This is preparation for the Asian Cup, and it’s important for any player that is called up to show what they can do and to be sharp and be called up for the big tournaments.”

Earning the call up is hard enough, getting there is an arduous 15-hour, 7,000-mile journey, and when he arrives, he’ll have to deal with a couple of additional challenges.

“They speak a different language,” Siaj says with a laugh. “So, I’m a little lost because I don’t speak Arabic. A few of the players speak English though, so they help me a lot. The style of play is also different. I feel like [the USL] is a more physical game, and over there, it’s more technical and players are smaller, quicker and move the ball faster.”

Like Cody Laurendi and Atiba Harris, who have also been selected for their respective national teams, Siaj feels torn about having to leave his OKC teammates during a crucial time of the season.

“It’s always going to be like that for any player. But if you get the chance [to play for your national team], you have to take it because you might only have a few chances to do that in your career.”

Siaj sees the experience as being positive for Energy FC, especially if things go well like they did in his debut.

“It gives you confidence and a reason to believe in yourself more, and it shows you can [perform] at any level. I think it’s important to bring that back to OKC and the group and let them know that you are there to share it with them.”

Despite the personal successes and ambitions, Siaj still has one, ultimate goal: to make his father proud.

“Hopefully my father is very proud of me. I think I do it mostly for him because I know what it means to him to represent his country and his family, and I think that’s something he can proud of.”