Al Ain: He's known as the "Jordanian Messi", but a much better comparison might be Arjen Robben.

That is, at least, the view of Central Coast Mariners star Tommy Oar on Musa Al-Taamari, one of the rising stars of Asian football who Graham Arnold's Socceroos must keep on a tight leash in Sunday's Group B opener in Al Ain.

Before returning to the A-League for this season, Oar played and trained alongside Al-Taamari for a few months at APOEL and was hugely impressed with what he saw from the dynamic 21-year-old winger, who plays on the right but is left-footed and almost always cuts inside rather than hugs the touchline.

Danger man: Jordan's Musa Al-Taamari. Credit:YouTube

Al-Taamari's transfer in May from Amman's Al-Jazeera Club to the Cypriot giants has been heralded as the biggest made by a Jordanian player and Oar expects there will be even grander things to come for him in the near future, given how well he has settled.