Welcome to Dev's Digest, the Sky Sports column where Asian Football Award winner Dev Trehan shares exclusive updates and offers his perspective 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 video player.
The second half of the World Cup coincided with South Asian Heritage Month in the United Kingdom, providing a perfect backdrop to celebrate two pioneering figures who appeared live on Sky Sports News. Our long‑standing transfers specialist Dharmesh Sheth, a familiar face on the channel for more than two decades and a trailblazer for under‑represented groups in sports journalism, was joined by New Zealand international forward Sarpreet Singh.
Singh, who has recently completed 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 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 this responsibility and aim to represent my community and everyone who backs me to the best of my ability." The Transfer Centre LIVE is now available on mobile – simply download the Sky Sports app to stay updated on the latest moves. South Asian football news continues to flow. Singh grew up idolising Didier Drogba, staying up late in New Zealand to watch the Chelsea legend in action.
While he never faced Drogba on the pitch, Singh did line up against England in New Zealand's pre‑World Cup friendly in Tampa, sharing the field with stars such as Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford. "Playing against the likes of Kane and Rashford, who I had watched for years in the Premier League, was a dream come true. 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 at club level 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 surreal," Singh said of his time at Bayern. "I played in the 2019 Audi Cup final against Tottenham and made my Bundesliga debut later that year.
Being surrounded by world‑class players and learning from the best every day was incredible. Hansi Flick was the coach then, and I trained alongside Alphonso Davies and Joshua Zirkzee – we were all friends on and off the field." In other news, a consortium led by British‑Indian billionaire and former QPR co‑owner Amit Bhatia has shown interest in acquiring a minority stake in Liverpool FC. Fenway Sports Group (FSG), the current owners, confirmed the approach on the same day Bhatia announced his departure from QPR after an 18‑year involvement, during which he transferred his share 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." Reports indicate that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has also been approached to join the group. No agreement has been reached yet; discussions remain in their early stages. FSG bought Liverpool in 2010 for £300 million, and Forbes now values the club at roughly £4.6 billion. Bhatia’s exit from QPR was announced with a heartfelt statement: the club had been "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 heads ArcelorMittal, a steel and mining giant valued at about £23.2 billion. This month also marked the publication 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 that recognises the on‑field contributions of British South Asians. Several players featured this year 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. 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 appear at a World Cup, is back in favour at Utrecht and has featured in their pre‑season matches. Dilan Markanday has re‑joined Chesterfield and is taking part in their Irish tour, and Yan Dhanda is once again with Hearts after a loan spell at Dundee.
Dhanda featured in all of Hearts' pre‑season games and hopes to feature in the club’s 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, a London‑born midfielder, played for Lakatamia in Cyprus’s top division last season and has previously turned out for Leyton Orient, London Seaward and Saudi side Al‑Hmmah. She was part of Pakistan’s first 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 goal in an Olympic qualifier against Tajikistan in 2023.
Birmingham City pioneer Riya Mannu is poised to join West Bromwich Albion, another exclusive Sky Sports News scoop. The 19‑year‑old helped Birmingham win 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.
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 football world was taken by surprise earlier this month when West Ham legend Michail Antonio appeared in a cup final at a Sikh football tournament in Leicester. The Khalsa Football Federation (KFF) has run its tournaments for over five decades, allowing three non‑South Asian players per side.
Antonio, who recovered from a serious leg injury after a Ferrari crash in December 2024, featured for Singh Sabha Slough in the Over‑35s final against Punjab United Sports Wolverhampton. He scored a spectacular goal, provided an assist and missed a penalty; however, the team forfeited the trophy because Antonio had not been officially registered.
Guest player Danny Barham praised Antonio, saying, "He travelled from London at 7 am for a 10 am kick‑off, was the nicest person I’ve ever met, and scored a world‑class strike reminiscent of Ronaldinho’s famous goal against Chelsea. It was clear why he is a professional – his skill and attitude were on another level." 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 reflected, "I’ve been involved in KFF tournaments since the early ’80s as a player and referee. Michail was a humble, smiling guy playing for fun.
The crowd loved seeing him, and he stayed afterwards to take photos with everyone." For more stories, features and video content, visit the groundbreaking South Asians in Football page on skysports.com and keep an eye on Sky Sports News and its digital platforms.