1 week ago

Premier League Begins Season Without British South Asian Players

The new Premier League season has started without any British South Asian players.

This is unusual because many British South Asian people play football at grassroots level.

Four years ago, several young players seemed ready to reach the top division.

Hamza Choudhury is now playing for Leicester City in League One.

Zidane Iqbal is on loan at Jong FC Utrecht, while Kam Kandola and Arjan Raikhy play in the National League.

Iqbal did make history by playing for Iraq at a men’s World Cup finals.

Football groups created a plan to improve representation, but the plan has not yet produced a Premier League player this season.

The next question is whether younger players can reach the top level in the coming years.

Key facts

Season: 2026-27 Premier League season
Opening match detail: Arsenal opened the season with a win over newly promoted Coventry City.
British South Asian representation: No British South Asian player is in the Premier League for the season.
Grassroots participation: British South Asians make up roughly six per cent of grassroots football in England.
Professional representation: The Professional Footballers’ Association counted the community at barely 0.45 per cent of the professional game.
Action plan: The Premier League and Kick It Out launched a South Asian Action Plan four years ago.
Representation goal: The Professional Footballers’ Association has discussed reaching roughly six per cent professional representation.

easterneye.biz · 1 week ago