Welcome to Dev's Digest, the Sky Sports column where Asian Football Award laureate Dev Trehan shares exclusive updates and offers insight into the most significant stories affecting British South Asians in football. For the best video experience, we recommend using the Chrome browser. The second half of the World Cup overlapped with South Asian Heritage Month in the United Kingdom, providing a perfect backdrop to celebrate two pioneering figures on the Sky Sports News set.
Our long‑standing transfers specialist Dharmesh Sheth, a fixture at Sky Sports News for more than two decades and a trailblazer for under‑represented voices in sports media, was joined by New Zealand international Sarpreet Singh. Singh, fresh from completing a transfer to 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 my family and me," Singh told the presenters.
"I feel privileged to be the first Indian and the first Punjabi to appear at a World Cup. The support from around the globe has been overwhelming, and I see it as a huge honour. I embrace the challenges that come with this responsibility and will do my utmost to represent our community and all those who back me." Singh grew up idolising 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 New Zealand’s pre‑World Cup friendly in Tampa. "Playing against the likes of Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford, players I had watched for years in the Premier League, was a dream come true," he said.
"I was focused on giving my best for my country." There was even a whisper that, had circumstances been different, Singh might have joined Kane at club level next season. After impressing at the 2019 FIFA U‑20 World Cup, Bayern Munich signed the young forward, and he spent four seasons in Germany. "It was an unreal experience," Singh recalled, referencing his appearance against Tottenham in the 2019 Audi Cup final and his subsequent Bundesliga debut. "Being part of one of the biggest clubs in the world, learning from top professionals daily, was amazing.
Hansi Flick was the manager then, and I shared the dressing room with Alphonso Davies and Joshua Zirkzee – we were all mates." In other news, a consortium led by British‑Indian billionaire and former QPR co‑owner Amit Bhatia has signalled interest in purchasing a minority share of Liverpool FC. Fenway Sports Group (FSG), the current owners of Liverpool, confirmed the approach on the same day Bhatia stepped down from QPR after an 18‑year tenure, transferring his stake to majority owner Ruben Gnanalingam. A FSG spokesperson said, "A consortium headed, 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 group. No agreement has been reached yet; discussions remain in early stages.
FSG bought Liverpool for £300 million in 2010, and Forbes now values 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. He is also the son‑in‑law of Lakshmi Mittal, the steel‑magnate behind ArcelorMittal, whose net worth is estimated at £23.2 billion.
This month also saw the publication of our fourth annual British South Asians in Football Team of the Season, produced in partnership with DesiBallers. The initiative remains the only yearly recognition of on‑field contributions made by British South Asian players.
Several members of this year’s squad have returned to action. Leicester City’s long‑serving midfielder Hamza Choudhury captained the Foxes during pre‑season, while goalkeeper Jas Singh reclaimed his spot at Tamworth and Kam Kandola started every pre‑season fixture for Hereford after joining over the summer.
Zidane Iqbal, fresh from becoming the first British South Asian to feature at a World Cup, appears to be back in favour at Utrecht, having featured in their pre‑season matches. Dilan Markanday has rejoined Chesterfield and is taking part in their Irish tour, and Yan Dhanda is back with Hearts after a loan spell at Dundee. Dhanda featured in all of Hearts’ pre‑season games and hopes to play in the club’s Champions League second‑leg qualifier against Sturm Graz. In the women’s game, Pakistan international Zahmena Malik is set to sign for Actonians, one of the few independent 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 in the Cypriot top division with Lakatamia 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 win over the Turks and Caicos Islands and netting Pakistan’s inaugural goal in an Olympic qualifier against Tajikistan in 2023. Birmingham City trailblazer Riya Mannu is poised to join West Bromwich Albion, according to an exclusive Sky Sports News source.
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. Mannu made history in 2024 as 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 month also delivered a surprise appearance by West Ham record scorer Michail Antonio at a Sikh football tournament in Leicester. The Khalsa Football Federation (KFF) tournament, a 50‑year‑old event that permits three non‑South‑Asian players per side, saw Antonio feature for Singh Sabha Slough in the Over‑35s final against Punjab United Sports Wolverhampton.
Despite a recent hospital stay after a serious car accident in December 2024, Antonio delivered a spectacular performance, scoring a stunning long‑range goal, providing an assist and even missing a penalty. Singh Sabha Slough won 2‑0 but later forfeited the trophy because Antonio had not been officially registered. Danny Barham, a guest player for Singh Sabha Slough, described Antonio as "the nicest person I've ever met" and praised his professionalism, comparing 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, "I played in KFF tournaments in the early ’80s and have been refereeing there for many years. Michail was a humble, smiling guy who played for the love of the game. The crowd loved seeing him, and he stayed after the match to take photos with everyone." For more stories, features and video content, visit the groundbreaking South Asians in Football hub on skysports.com and stay tuned to Sky Sports News and our digital platforms.
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