During his time at the Habbaniya based club, Youra, made a big impact, making a reputation for himself as one of the clubs best attacking players and also their irrepressible prodigy and match winner during the early 50s. With Hormis Goriel as Captain, the team dominated during the clubs short-lived existence, from its foundation in the late 40s until the mid-1950s. A year after making his debut for the Employees’club, he was selected to represent the C.C. team (Civil Cantonment), a select team that represented people living on the Civil Cantonment in Habbaniya, the team played with Iraq's elite clubs such as Baghdad based teams Police Club (Al Shourta), Royal Iraqi Air Force FC (Al Quwa Al Jawiya Al Malikiya Al Irakiya) and the Royal Guards (Haris Al Maliki) and featured players like Edison Eshaya, Aram Karam, Ammo Samson, Youel Gorgis, Zia Shawel and was Captained by Employees’Club Captain Hormis Goriel.

In April 1953, Youra hit a hat-trick for an Iraqi Command team, made up of players from R.A.F. players from Iraq and the C.C. select team of Habbaniya against an all-professional Canal Zone side from the Suez Canal in Egypt. In the crowd was a Bristol Rovers Football scout, Flight Lieutenant R.K. Weston, a Command Transport pilot shuttling between Britain and the Middle East. He was so impressed by Youra’s performance in the game, that he offered him a trial at the Football League club.

The manager of Bristol Rovers Football Club Bert Tann, who was usually against bringing in foreign talent into the English game, was gradually persuaded to give Youra a chance by the pilot, R.K Weston and a group of R.A.F officers at Habbaniya. The R.A.F. officers at Habbaniya chipped into help Youra with his expenses, when the travel arrangements were made.

In August 1954, Youra left for England, through Marseilles, France, to make a name for himself in English football league, giving him the chance to grace a bigger stage where he could parade his wide range of goalscoring and creating skills. At the age of 19(That was age he said he was but he was actually 21), Youra became the first Iraqi and Assyrian footballer to play in Europe and also the first player from the Middle East to play in Europe after being signed-up by English 2^nd Division side Bristol Rovers, who were first known as the Black Arabs (because the team wore black shirts) when the club was first founded in 1883 then later known as Eastville Rovers.

Youra played for Bristol Rovers Colts in the Western League, the clubs 3^rd team made up of inexperienced young players where the players were given time to develop their skills and talent before they were released to explode into the Football League, to play for the first team. He played as an amateur because he was not allowed by the Football Association to play as a paid professional until he had had at least two years' qualified residency in England. In a short time, the clubs officials were delighted by Youra’s performances and future potential, even though some thought his 5’4 build might be a problem. He quickly proved his worth and was promoted to the Rovers reserves, their 2^nd team after a scoring his first goal in his 14 appearance for the Colts, in a 4-2 win over the Bath City reserves on the 11^th December at the Douglas Sports stadium, the Colts home stadium. On the 18^th December, he made his debut in a 4-3 win over the Watford reserves and his second appearance for the reserves on the 25^th December against the Fulham reserves, helping the team to a 2-1 win. These were the only appearances, he made for the reserves in the Football Combination League, but he also made one appearance, scoring a goal in a 4-3 friendly win over Paulton Rovers in September 1955. Youra continued to play for the Colts scoring 3 goals in 22 games in the Western League, and also made an appearance in the Western League Cup in a 1-1draw with the Gloucester City reserves during the 1954/55 season. In his 2^nd season in England, Youra made 4 appearances for the Colts scoring 1 goal.

Youra decided to return to home after 16 months in England. He was persuaded to return after "come-back-home" pleas by his family and by the Royal Iraqi Air Force Commander, Brigadier Kadhum Abbadi, who offered to obtain for Youra and his family members Iraqi naturalisation and a place for him on the Force as a warrant officer provided he play for the Royal Iraqi Air Force FC (Al Quwa Al Jawiya Al Malikiya Al Irakiya). Youra and his family members were Iranian subjects, and obtaining Iraqi naturalisation wasn't a particularly easy procedure. At first Youra resisted, but finally relented and returned home to Baghdad in December 1955, after making his appearance for Bristol Rovers Colts in the 3-1 win over From Town on the 10^th December, only months short of his eligibility to play professional football in England and a month before Bristol Rovers most historic victory beating the great “Busby Babes” Manchester United managed by the legendary Scot Matt Busby 4-0 in the F.A. Cup 3^rd round. Within a short time, the President of the Air Force Club Brigadier Abbadi arranged for Youra and his family’s papers to be processed and Youra was admitted to the Air Force as a warrant officer and joined the Royal Iraqi Air Force FC, later known as Air Force FC after the 1958 revolution.

Youra was called up into the Iraqi national team soon after returning, making his debut in January 1956 in a 6-0 win over Mersden Club of Turkey. The game was broadcasted live over Baghdad radio and was watched by tens of thousands of fans, all waiting in anticipation for the arrival of the little Assyrian wizard, who had come all the way from England. Royal Guard starforward Ammo Baba hit a hat trick in the game, as Youra in his 1^st game for Iraq helped overrun their opponents. A week later, Youra orchestrated a 5-3 win over Tehran Select in the scout’s stadium in Baghdad with Ammo Baba scoring 4 goals.

Youra represented Iraq in a number of tournaments in North Africa, Europe and the Middle East, playing in a team including Jalil Shahaib, Hamed Fawzi, Jabar Reshak, Abbas Hamadi, Hisham Atta Ajaj, Kadhum ”Zawiya” Mahmoud, Edison Eshaya and Ammo Baba. Due to political problems involving Israel, which restricted the development of Iraqi international and domestic football, many Iraqi players such as Youra, Ammo Baba and Hisham Atta Ajaj were all prevented from making a name for themselves in World Cups, Asian Games and many other competitions due to the Iraqi F.A. withdrawing from international or club competitions involving Israeli teams, this international isolation which involved all the Arab countries and also the Muslim countries in East Asia, began in the 1950s and lasted until the mid-70s, when Israel left the Asian Football Association. Youra was one of the most talked about players in Iraq due to his unique talent and ability, which he displayed week in and week out for both his club Al Quwa Al Jawiya and the Iraqi national team. He was more of a creative player than a natural out and out goal scorer, who helped a successful Al Quwa Al Jawiya side to obtain a cabinet full of Iraqi Cups and League Championships during the mid-Fifties and through the 60s was.