Welcome to Dev's Digest, the Sky Sports column where Asian Football Award winner Dev Trehan shares exclusive updates and offers his take on 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. Long‑time transfers analyst Dharmesh Sheth, a fixture on 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 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 a proud moment for me and my family," Singh told Sky Sports News.
"I feel incredibly privileged to be the first Indian and the first Punjabi to appear at a World Cup. The support from fans around the globe has been overwhelming.
I see this as a huge honour and I welcome the challenges that come with it. I’m determined to represent my community and everyone who believes in me to the best of my ability." The Transfer Centre LIVE is now available on mobile – simply download the Sky Sports app. South Asians in Football news Growing up, Singh idolised Didier Drogba and would wake up in the middle of the night in New Zealand to catch the Premier League star’s Chelsea matches.
Although he never faced Drogba on the pitch, Singh did 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’d watched for years in the Premier League – was a dream come true. I was focused on doing my country proud," he said.
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. "It was an unreal experience," Singh recalled.
"I played against Tottenham in the 2019 Audi Cup final and made my Bundesliga debut later that year. Being part of one of the world’s biggest clubs, learning from top professionals every day, was amazing. Hansi Flick was the manager then, and I was teammates with Alphonso Davies and Joshua Zirkzee – we were all friends." In other 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, Liverpool’s owners, confirmed the approach on the same day Bhatia stepped down from QPR’s board after an 18‑year involvement, transferring his share to majority owner Ruben Gnanalingam.
A FSG spokesperson said, "A consortium led, managed and represented by Amit Bhatia has expressed interest in a strategic minority investment in Liverpool Football Club." Reports later revealed that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has also been approached to join the group. No agreement has been reached; discussions are still in early stages. FSG bought Liverpool in 2010 for £300 million, 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.
Bhatia is married into the Mittal family; his father‑in‑law Lakshmi Mittal runs steel and mining giant ArcelorMittal, a conglomerate valued at about £23.2 billion. This month also saw the release of our fourth annual British South Asians in Football Team of the Season, produced with DesiBallers. The initiative remains the sole yearly celebration of on‑field contributions made by 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 is back between the sticks for Tamworth, while Kam Kandola has started every pre‑season fixture for Hereford since joining over the summer. World Cup pioneer Zidane Iqbal, the first British South Asian to appear at a World Cup, is back in favour at Utrecht and featured in their pre‑season matches. Dilan Markanday is playing for Chesterfield on a tour of Ireland, and Yan Dhanda has rejoined Hearts after a loan spell at Dundee, featuring in all of their pre‑season games 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 independent women’s club 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. 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 first ever 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 report. The 19‑year‑old helped Birmingham win promotion to the Women’s Super League last season and impressed on a dual‑registration loan at West Brom, scoring on her full debut against Rugby Borough. She made history in 2024 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.
In a surprising twist, West Ham’s record Premier League scorer Michail Antonio appeared in a Sikh football tournament final in Leicester. The Khalsa Football Federation (KFF) tournament, a 50‑year‑old event that permits three non‑South‑Asian players per side, saw Antonio play for Singh Sabha Slough in the Over‑35s final against Punjab United Sports Wolverhampton. After a three‑week hospital stay following a serious car accident in December 2024, Antonio returned to the pitch, scoring a spectacular 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.
Guest player Danny Barham described the experience: "He joined us through a teammate whose children go to school together. He travelled from London at 7 am for a 10 am kick‑off. He was the nicest person I’ve ever met.
The opposition initially refused to let him play, so our side withdrew to let him feature. He scored an absolute world‑class strike from outside the box, reminiscent of Ronaldinho’s famous goal against Chelsea, and set up the second.
It showed why he’s a professional – no attitude, just pure love for the game." The match was officiated by Jarnail Singh, 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 humble, smiling guy playing for fun. The crowd loved seeing him, and he stayed after the game to take photos with everyone." For additional stories, features and video content, visit the groundbreaking South Asians in Football page on skysports.com and stay tuned to Sky Sports News and our digital platforms.
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