Welcome to Dev's Digest, the Sky Sports column where Asian Football Award winner Dev Trehan shares breaking news and thoughtful commentary on the most significant stories affecting British South Asians in football. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player. The second half of the World Cup overlapped with South Asian Heritage Month in the United Kingdom, offering a perfect backdrop to celebrate two pioneering figures who appeared together on Sky Sports News. Our long‑standing transfers analyst Dharmesh Sheth, a familiar face on the channel for over two decades and a trailblazer who has helped open doors for under‑represented groups in sports media, was joined on set by New Zealand international Sarpreet Singh.
Singh, fresh from completing a 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 Sky Sports News.
"I feel privileged to be the first Indian and the first Punjabi to play at a World Cup. The support I receive from fans around the globe is overwhelming, and I see this as a huge honour. I embrace the challenges that come with it and will do my best to represent my community and everyone who backs me." Transfer Centre LIVE on your phone!
Download the Sky Sports App. South Asians in Football news Growing up, Singh idolised Didier Drogba and would often wake up in the middle of the night in New Zealand to catch the Chelsea legend on television. 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, playing against the Three Lions.
"It was an amazing experience to go up against the likes of Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford – players I’d watched in the Premier League for years. It felt like another dream come true, but my focus was simply to give my best for my country," he recalled. Had circumstances been different, Singh might have been a teammate of Kane at club level next season.
After a standout performance for New Zealand at the 2019 FIFA U‑20 World Cup, Bayern Munich signed him, and he spent four seasons with the German giants. "Playing in the 2019 Audi Cup final against Tottenham and then making my Bundesliga debut later that year was surreal," Singh said. "Being surrounded by one of the biggest clubs in the world, learning from the best every day, and sharing a locker room with talents like Alphonso Davies and Joshua Zirkzee was priceless.
Hansi Flick, who is now Barcelona’s manager, was in charge then, and we were all mates." An investment consortium led by British‑Indian billionaire and former QPR co‑owner Amit Bhatia has signalled interest in buying a minority stake in Liverpool Football Club. The club’s owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), confirmed the approach on the same day Bhatia stepped down from QPR’s board, ending an 18‑year involvement after transferring his share to majority owner Ruben Gnanalingam.
A spokesperson for FSG said: "A consortium led, managed and represented by Amit Bhatia has expressed interest in making a strategic minority investment in Liverpool Football Club." Sky News later reported that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has also been approached to join the consortium. No agreement has been reached; discussions are still at an early stage. FSG purchased Liverpool in 2010 for £300 million, and Forbes recently valued the club at roughly £4.6 billion.
On Tuesday, 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 into the Mittal family; his mother‑in‑law, Lakshmi Mittal, is an executive at steel and mining giant ArcelorMittal, which is estimated at £23.2 billion in value.
This month also saw the release of our fourth annual British South Asians in Football Team of the Season, produced in partnership with DesiBallers. It remains the sole yearly initiative that recognises the on‑field contributions of British South Asians. Several players featured this year have returned to action after injuries or spells away from the game.
Leicester City’s long‑serving midfielder Hamza Choudhury captained the Foxes in pre‑season, while goalkeeper Jas Singh re‑joined Tamworth between the sticks. Kam Kandola has started every pre‑season match for Hereford since joining over the summer. Zidane Iqbal, fresh from becoming the first British South Asian to appear at a World Cup, appears to be back in favour at Utrecht, featuring in their pre‑season fixtures.
Dilan Markanday has returned to Chesterfield and is part of their Irish tour, and Yan Dhanda is back with Hearts after a loan spell at Dundee, playing in every pre‑season game and hoping to feature in Hearts’ Champions League second‑leg qualifier against Sturm Graz. Pakistan international Zahmena Malik is set to sign for Actonians, an exclusive Sky Sports News revelation. Actonians are 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, an east‑London native, 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. A former Tottenham youngster, she was part of the first Pakistan women’s team ever to compete in a FIFA tournament, scoring the opening goal in an 8‑0 win over the Turks and Caicos Islands – a record victory for the Shaheens – and netting Pakistan’s first ever goal in an Olympic qualifier in 2023 against Tajikistan.
Birmingham City pioneer Riya Mannu is poised to join West Bromwich Albion, another exclusive scoop. The 19‑year‑old helped Birmingham secure promotion to the Women’s Super League 1 last season and impressed during a dual‑registration loan at West Brom, scoring on her full debut against Rugby Borough. In 2024 she made history as the first British South Asian to play league football for Birmingham City Women, later earning the club’s Professional Game Academy Player of the Season award after starring in a 4‑3 PGA Cup final win over Leicester City.
The football world was taken by surprise earlier this month when West Ham’s all‑time Premier League scorer Michail Antonio appeared in a cup final at a Sikh football tournament in Leicester. The Khalsa Football Federation (KFF) tournaments, running for more than five decades, allow three non‑South‑Asian players per side. Antonio, who recovered from a serious leg injury sustained in a Ferrari crash in December 2024, turned out 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, helping Slough to a 2‑0 victory before the team forfeited the trophy because Antonio had not been formally registered. Danny Barham, a guest player for Singh Sabha Slough, praised Antonio: "He joined us through a teammate because our kids 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 initially didn’t want him to play, so Slough disqualified themselves just to let him feature. He scored an absolute worldie from outside the box, reminiscent of Ronaldinho’s famous Champions League goal against Chelsea, and set up the second tally. It showed why he’s a professional – no attitude, just pure love for the game." The match was refereed by Jarnail Singh, father of pioneering officials Sunny Singh Gill and Bhupinder Singh Gill. Jarnail, the only turbaned Sikh ever to referee in the English Football League, reflected: "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 fun of it. The crowd loved seeing him, and more people came when they realised he was on the pitch.
He stayed after the game to take photos with everyone." For additional stories, features and video content, visit the groundbreaking South Asians in Football hub on skysports.com and keep an eye on Sky Sports News and the network’s digital platforms. Play Super 6 for a chance to win £250 k! Enter for free.