Welcome to Dev's Digest, the Sky Sports column where Asian Football Award winner Dev Trehan shares exclusive updates and reflects on pivotal moments for British South Asians in the beautiful game. For the best viewing experience, we recommend using the Chrome browser. The second half of the World Cup overlapped with the launch of South Asian Heritage Month across the United Kingdom, providing a perfect backdrop to celebrate two pioneering figures who appeared together on Sky Sports News. Our long‑standing transfers expert Dharmesh Sheth, a fixture on the channel for more than two decades and a trailblazer for under‑represented voices in sports media, was joined on set by New Zealand international Sarpreet Singh.
Singh, who has recently signed for Portuguese side 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 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 all those who back me to the best of my ability." Singh grew up idolising Didier Drogba, staying up late in New Zealand to watch the Ivorian legend dominate for Chelsea.
While 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 Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford – players he had watched on Premier League television for years. "Playing against such world‑class talent was a dream come true. I just wanted to give my country the best performance possible," he said.
There was even a tantalising what‑if scenario: had circumstances been different, Singh might have been a teammate of Kane at club level next season. After impressing at the 2019 FIFA U‑20 World Cup, Bayern Munich secured his services, and he spent four seasons in Germany. He recalls his debut season vividly: "Making my Bundesliga debut after playing in the 2019 Audi Cup final against Tottenham was surreal. Being part of one of the biggest clubs on the planet, learning from the best every day, was an unreal experience.
Hansi Flick was the manager then, and I trained alongside Alphonso Davies and Joshua Zirkzee – we were all friends." Switching to club ownership news, a consortium led by British‑Indian billionaire and former QPR co‑owner Amit Bhatia has signalled interest in purchasing 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 involvement, transferring his share to majority owner Ruben Gnanalingam. A FSG spokesperson said, "A consortium headed, managed and represented by Amit Bhatia has expressed interest in a strategic minority investment in Liverpool Football Club." Further reports indicate that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has also been approached to join the group.
No agreement has been reached yet; discussions remain at a preliminary stage. For context, FSG bought Liverpool in 2010 for £300 million, and Forbes recently valued the club at approximately £4.6 billion.
Bhatia’s departure from QPR was announced with heartfelt remarks about the club’s significance to his life and his family. 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 father‑in‑law Lakshmi Mittal heads steel and mining giant ArcelorMittal, with an estimated net worth of £23.2 billion.
In other uplifting news, we proudly published our fourth annual British South Asians in Football Team of the Season, a collaboration with DesiBallers that remains the sole yearly celebration of on‑field contributions from British South Asian players. Several squad members have returned to action this season.
Leicester City stalwart Hamza Choudhury, the club’s longest‑serving player, captained the Foxes throughout pre‑season. Goalkeeper Jas Singh re‑joined Tamworth, while 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 favour at FC Utrecht and featured prominently in their pre‑season schedule. Dilan Markanday has been active with Chesterfield, joining their Irish tour, and Yan Dhanda is once again part of Hearts after a loan spell at Dundee, hoping to feature in the club’s Champions League second‑leg qualifier against Sturm Graz.
On the women’s side, Pakistan international Zahmena Malik is poised to sign for Actonians, an independent club competing in the top four tiers of English women’s football alongside Liverpool Feds and London City Lionesses. Malik, a London‑born talent, previously played for Cypriot side Lakatamia and has featured for Leyton Orient, London Seaward, and Saudi club Al‑Hmmah. She was part of Pakistan’s historic first women’s team to compete in a FIFA tournament, scoring in an 8‑0 win over the Turks and Caicos Islands and netting Pakistan’s inaugural goal in an Olympic qualifier against Tajikistan in 2023. Birmingham City pioneer Riya Mannu is set to join 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. Mannu made history in 2024 as the first British South Asian to play league football for Birmingham City Women and was named the club’s Professional Game Academy Player of the Season.
The month also delivered a surprising cameo: West Ham legend Michail Antonio appeared in the final of a Sikh football tournament in Leicester, representing Singh Sabha Slough in the Over‑35s final against Punjab United Sports Wolverhampton. Antonio, who recovered from a serious leg injury sustained in a car accident earlier in the year, scored a spectacular goal, provided an assist, and even missed a penalty before his team were awarded the win. However, the trophy was later forfeited because Antonio had not been officially registered to play.
Danny Barham, a guest player for Singh Sabha Slough, praised Antonio’s humility and skill, likening his goal to Ronaldinho’s famous strike against Chelsea. The match was officiated by Jarnail Singh, the only turbaned Sikh ever to referee in the English Football League, and father to pioneering officials Sunny Singh Gill and Bhupinder Singh Gill. Singh recalled, "Michail was a genuinely nice, humble bloke playing for the love of the game. The crowd loved seeing him, and he stayed afterwards to take photos with everyone." For further stories, in‑depth features and video content, visit our dedicated South Asians in Football hub on skysports.com and stay tuned to Sky Sports News and our digital platforms.
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