On 5 March 2011, he won silver in the 3000 metres at the European Indoor Championships, narrowly losing to Mo Farah. He was the favourite entering the 5000 m at the 2011 European Athletics U23 Championships, but failed to finish the event due to an injury that ruled him out for most of the season. He ran in the heats of the event at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships, but did not progress to the final. Later that year he ran in the 5000 m at 2012 European Athletics Championships (where he came sixth) and at the 2012 London Olympics, managing ninth place. At September's Palio Citta della Quercia he ran a meet record and Azerbaijani best of 13:11.34 minutes for the 5000 m. He also came eighth in the under-23 section of the 2012 European Cross Country Championships that year.