Welcome to Dev's Digest, the Sky Sports column where Asian Football Award laureate Dev Trehan shares exclusive updates and thoughtful commentary on the most significant stories affecting British South Asians in football. For the best viewing experience, we recommend using the Chrome browser to access the embedded video player.
The latter half of the World Cup coincided with the launch of South Asian Heritage Month across the United Kingdom, providing a perfect backdrop to celebrate two pioneering figures who appeared on‑air at Sky Sports News. Long‑time transfers expert Dharmesh Sheth, a fixture on Sky Sports News for more than two decades and a trailblazer for under‑represented voices in sports journalism, was joined by New Zealand international forward Sarpreet Singh. Singh, fresh from a recent transfer to Portuguese club Farense, made history at the 2026 World Cup by becoming the first player of Indian descent to start a match in the tournament.
"When the squad was announced and I saw my name, it was an incredibly proud moment for me and my family," Singh told the channel. "I feel privileged to be the first Indian and the first Punjabi to feature at a World Cup. The support I receive from fans worldwide is overwhelming, and I welcome the challenges that come with this responsibility.
I aim to represent my community and everyone who backs me to the best of my ability." The Transfer Centre is now live on mobile – simply download the Sky Sports app to stay on top of the latest rumors and confirmed moves. South Asians in Football – latest headlines Growing up, Singh idolised Didier Drogba and would often stay up late in New Zealand to watch the Ivorian legend light up the Premier League for Chelsea.
Although he never faced Drogba on the pitch, Singh did get the chance to line up against England in a pre‑World Cup friendly in Tampa, sharing the field with the likes of Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford. "Playing against those players, whom I’d watched for years, was a dream realised.
I just wanted to give my country the best performance possible," he recalled. Had circumstances been different, Singh might have been a teammate of Kane next season. After impressing at the 2019 FIFA U‑20 World Cup, Bayern Munich signed him, and he spent four seasons in Germany. He featured in the 2019 Audi Cup final against Tottenham and made his Bundesliga debut later that year.
"Being at one of the world’s biggest clubs was surreal. Training daily with top talent and learning from the best was an education in itself," Singh said. He also mentioned that Hansi Flick, now Barcelona’s manager, oversaw the team at the time, and he formed friendships with Alphonso Davies and Joshua Zirkzee.
In a separate development, a consortium led by British‑Indian businessman and former QPR co‑owner Amit Bhatia has signalled interest in acquiring a minority stake in Liverpool FC. Fenway Sports Group, the current owners, confirmed the approach on the same day Bhatia stepped down from QPR after an 18‑year tenure, transferring his share to majority owner Ruben Gnanalingam. A spokesperson for FSG said, "A consortium headed and represented by Amit Bhatia has expressed interest in a strategic minority investment in Liverpool Football Club." Reports also indicate that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has been approached to join the group. No agreement has been reached yet; discussions remain in their early stages.
FSG bought Liverpool for £300 million in 2010, and Forbes recently valued the club at roughly £4.6 billion. Bhatia announced his departure from QPR, describing the club as "a deeply important part of my life and my family’s life." He served as vice‑chairman before becoming chairman in 2018, a role he held for five years.
Bhatia is married to the daughter of Lakshmi Mittal, executive of the global steel and mining giant ArcelorMittal, whose net worth is estimated at £23.2 billion. This month also marked the release of our fourth annual British South Asians in Football Team of the Season, produced in partnership with DesiBallers.
The initiative remains the sole annual showcase recognising the on‑field contributions of British South Asians. Several players have returned to action this season: - Leicester City stalwart Hamza Choudhury, the club’s longest‑serving player, captained the Foxes during pre‑season. - Goalkeeper Jas Singh re‑joined Tamworth between the sticks.
- Kam Kandola started every pre‑season fixture for Hereford after his summer signing. - Zidane Iqbal, fresh from becoming the first British South Asian to appear at a World Cup, is back in the Utrecht squad and featured in their pre‑season matches. - Dilan Markanday is playing for Chesterfield and took part in their Irish tour.
- Yan Dhanda returned to Hearts after a loan spell at Dundee, featuring in all pre‑season games and hoping to feature in Hearts’ Champions League second‑leg qualifier against Sturm Graz. Sky Sports News also has an exclusive on Pakistan international Zahmena Malik, who is set to sign for Actonians – one of the few independent women’s clubs still competing in the top four tiers of English women’s football, alongside Liverpool Feds and London City Lionesses. Malik, originally from east London, spent last season with Lakatamia in Cyprus’s top division and has previously turned out for Leyton Orient, London Seaward and Saudi side Al‑Hmmah. She was part of the first Pakistan women’s team to compete in a FIFA tournament, scoring in an 8‑0 victory over the Turks and Caicos Islands and netting Pakistan’s inaugural Olympic qualifier goal in a 1‑0 win over Tajikistan in 2023.
Another rising star, Birmingham City trailblazer Riya Mannu, is moving to West Bromwich Albion. The 19‑year‑old helped Birmingham secure promotion to the Women’s Super League and impressed during a dual‑registration loan at West Brom, scoring on her full debut against Rugby Borough. In 2024 she became the first British South Asian to play league football for Birmingham City Women and was later named the club’s Professional Game Academy Player of the Season. The football world was taken by surprise earlier this month when West Ham’s all‑time Premier League top scorer Michail Antonio appeared in a cup final at a Sikh football tournament in Leicester.
The Khalsa Football Federation (KFF) tournaments, running for over five decades, allow three non‑South‑Asian players per side. Antonio, still recovering from a serious leg injury sustained in a December 2024 Ferrari crash, featured for Singh Sabha Slough in the Over‑35s final against Punjab United Sports Wolverhampton.
He scored a spectacular goal, provided an assist and even missed a penalty; the team won 2‑0 but later forfeited the trophy because Antonio had not been officially registered. Danny Barham, a guest player for Singh Sabha Slough, praised Antonio: "He joined us through a friend whose children go to school together. He travelled from London at 7 am for a 10 am kick‑off. He’s the nicest person I’ve ever met.
The opposition originally refused to let him play, so our team disqualified ourselves just so he could take the field. He struck a world‑class volley from outside the box, reminiscent of Ronaldinho’s famous Chelsea goal, and set up the second tally. You could see why he’s a professional – there was no attitude, just pure enjoyment." The match was officiated by Jarnail Singh, the father of pioneering referees Sunny Singh Gill and Bhupinder Singh Gill.
Jarnail, the only turbaned Sikh to have refereed in the English Football League, recalled, "I played in KFF tournaments in the early ’80s and have been refereeing there for many years. Michail was a very humble, smiling lad playing for the love of the game. The crowd loved seeing him, and many stayed to watch once they realised who he was.
He even stayed after the match to take photos with everyone." For additional stories, in‑depth features and video content, visit the groundbreaking South Asians in Football hub on skysports.com and keep an eye on Sky Sports News and its digital platforms. Enter the Super 6 competition for a chance to win £250,000 – entry is free.