IT does not matter to Luqman Hakim Shamsudin if he is in the KV Kortrijk (KVK) team for today's Belgian Pro League clash against R. Excel Mouscron.
What is critical is that the young Malaysian striker will be ready for Yves Vanderhaeghe's squad when called upon.
The 18-year-old has been attracting attention since scoring for KVK in the 2-1 win over BX Brussels in a friendly on Sept 5.
The popular observation is that Luqman will eventually be a starter for KVK on the European stage. But Luqman is not in a hurry.
The former Selangor II player said he was, however, ready to help the team against the visiting R. Excel Mouscron at Guldensporen Stadium.
KVK are fourth in the league with seven points after four matches.
"Playing in the main squad or just being a substitute is not a big issue for me.
"Instead, I am ready to give my best to the team," said Luqman.
"I want to be realistic. I give my best in training. I am thankful for that goal I scored in the friendly.
"It (the first goal with KVK) has motivated me. But I have to work harder to convince the manager because all the players have been very committed."
A KVK spokesperson said they were very excited with Luqman's progress as he seemed to be adapting to the European style.
He did not rule out the possibility of Luqman being pencilled in for today's game, even as a substitute.
"We will see how Luqman does in training. We have also lined up several friendly matches to gauge his performance," said the official.
"This is a very competitive squad with all of the players jostling for the starting 11 spots."
Meanwhile, Luqman was awarded the "Anugerah Tokoh Anak Muda" from the Kelantan government yesterday. His parents, Hasmah Che Soh and Shamsudin Mahmood received the award on Luqman's behalf.
*Md Fariq is a freelance writer