Zamalek's newly-signed forward Mohamed Aoudia said moving to the Cairo club was a big step forward in his career.

The White Knights signed Aoudia from JS Kabylie on a two-and-a-half year deal to bolster their frontline, which wasn't productive during the first half of the season.

In an interview with Algerian newspaper Elheddaf, the 23-year-old said playing in the Egyptian league could give him the chance to join a European side in the future.

"I'm taking it one step at a time. I rose to prominence in Algeria and decided to make a bigger move to Egypt," he said when asked why he had chosen to leave his homeland to play in a fellow Arab competition.

"Zamalek are a great team with a glorious history and the level of football is very high in Egypt.

"I want to make a fine impact here and prove myself and by then I would be able to move to Europe through the Egyptian path. I just need to have self-confidence."

Aoudia made his debut in the team's goalless league draw with El-Entag El-Harby last month and notched his maiden goal in their 4-0 African Champions League win over Kenya's Ulinzi Stars.

The league has been halted since then due to the incessant Egyptian demonstrations that eventually forced president Hosni Mubarak to resign from his post.

Aoudia could find it difficult to claim a regular place in Zamalek's starting line-up when the competition resumes, given the arrival of star striker Ahmed Hossam 'Mido' and the imminent return from injury of Amr Zaki.

"I felt that Zamalek fans were pleased with the performance I produced in the league game. They were even happier after I scored in the Champions League," added Aoudia, who said he was heavily criticized by Algerian media last season following Kabylie's semi-final elimination from Africa's premier club competition.

"They quickly started to chant my name although I'm yet to do anything for Zamalek."\

Aoudia also reiterated his intention to repay the trust of coach Hossam Hassan, who convinced Zamalek to pay $1 million for his services despite their persistent financial problems.

"I have to thank him for the faith he has in my abilities. He was a great player and he is a great coach," he said.

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