Welcome to Dev's Digest, Sky Sports' flagship column where Dev Trehan shares exclusive updates and highlights key moments for British South Asians in football. This edition celebrates two standout stories: the upcoming recognition of Mal Benning at the Asian Football Awards and Hamza Choudhury's impressive first appearance for Sheffield United. Mal Benning is slated to receive the Football Pioneer award at this month’s Asian Football Awards, a scoop revealed exclusively by Sky Sports News. The accolade acknowledges his trail‑blazing career, which reached a milestone on Valentine's Day last season when Benning logged his 500th professional match – a rare achievement for a British South Asian in the English game.
Benning’s journey began as a teenage prospect under Dean Smith at Walsall during the 2012‑13 campaign. After a brief loan spell at York City, he signed for Mansfield Town in 2015.
The Stags’ supporters quickly nicknamed him "Sir Mal," and he cemented his status as a club legend by scoring the decisive goal against arch‑rivals Chesterfield in April 2018. Over the next few seasons he amassed more than 250 appearances for Mansfield before moving on to Port Vale in the summer of 2021.
Ironically, Benning’s most memorable moment came against his former side. In the League Two play‑off final at Wembley, he capped a 3‑0 victory for Port Vale with a goal against Mansfield, sealing the win in dramatic fashion.
The post‑match interview further solidified his reputation as a role model for South Asian athletes. "I was on Sky Sports News earlier this week talking about South Asians in football, and today’s win feels like a massive step forward," Benning told the network. "It isn’t about me personally – it could have been anyone – but for the Sikh community and for South Asians across the sport, this is huge." Co‑commentator Jobi McAnuff echoed that sentiment, describing Benning as a long‑standing pioneer who has consistently flown the flag for diverse communities. "It’s wonderful to see him finally get his day, especially against his old club – it always seems to be the way fate works," McAnuff noted, adding that Benning’s resurgence at Port Vale has been nothing short of spectacular.
Benning’s honor is part of a broader celebration of British South Asian talent. Eight additional players from the 2025/26 British South Asians in Football Team of the Season are also in contention for various Asian Football Awards categories. New Dundee United signing Zidane Iqbal, Chesterfield midfielder Dilan Markanday, and Hamza Choudhury have been shortlisted for the Men’s Player award. Young prospects such as Brandon Khela (Peterborough), Vimal Yoganathan (Barnsley) and Seth Ridgeon (Fulham) are on the Young Men’s Player list.
The Non‑League Player award features Tamworth goalkeeper Jas Singh, Hereford defender Kam Kandola and Boreham Wood winger Tarryn Allarakhia. On the women’s side, Leicester City full‑back Asmita Ale, Wrexham forward Mariam Mahmood and Burnley midfielder Millie Chandarana are vying for the Women’s Player prize.
Riya Mannu (West Brom), Layla Banaras (Lewes), young Leicester star Sareet Kaur Binning and Wales goalkeeper Safia Middleton‑Patel round out the Women’s Young Player nominations. Turning to the second headline, Hamza Choudhury delivered a winning debut for Sheffield United, helping the Blades secure a thrilling 3‑2 victory over Bolton Wanderers on Transfer Deadline Day.
The Bangladesh international slotted straight into the starting XI at right‑back and completed the full 90 minutes, just a day after ending a 21‑year spell with Leicester City by signing a permanent contract with Sheffield United. Choudhury’s Leicester résumé includes 166 senior appearances and a place in the squad that lifted the FA Cup for the first time in the club’s history in 2021.
He also featured in 34 league games and captained the side on several occasions during Leicester’s Sky Bet Championship triumph in 2023/24. Ironically, his final appearance for the Foxes came in a 2‑1 defeat to Burton Albion – the very club where he made his EFL debut on loan more than a decade earlier. The move to Bramall Lane reunites Choudhury with manager Chris Wilder, under whom he previously worked during a loan stint at Watford in the 2022/23 season.
Choudhury earned his first Bangladesh cap in March 2025, while still playing club football under Wilder’s guidance at Sheffield United. In another historic moment, Pakistan forward Mariam Mahmood has etched her name into Wrexham’s club lore by becoming the first female player to be added to the club’s international honours board. At 22, she joins legends such as Joey Jones, Dai Davies and Kieffer Moore, and follows in the footsteps of Neil Taylor, the only other British South Asian to be honoured in this way.
Taylor, a former Aston Villa, Swansea and Middlesbrough defender, turned professional at Wrexham in 2007 and earned 43 caps for Wales. Mahmood debuted for Pakistan during AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifying in Indonesia last year, one of nine British‑born athletes representing The Shaheens. She has scored three goals in six international outings and most recently featured for Pakistan in the FIFA Series in Ivory Coast in April.
Business news also featured a South Asian connection: Amit Bhatia attended his first Liverpool match since his consortium secured a 38 percent stake in the club. Bhatia, son‑in‑law of steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, watched Liverpool’s 2‑2 draw with Nottingham Forest at Anfield after receiving an invitation from Fenway Sports Group owner John W Henry. The investment group, which also includes Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Facebook co‑founder Eduardo Saverin, will see Bhatia join Liverpool’s board as vice‑chairman once the deal is ratified. "It’s the biggest and greatest football club in the world.
To be associated with it in any capacity is a dream come true," Bhatia told LFC TV. He added that with great stature comes great responsibility, praising FSG’s stewardship over the past 16 years and expressing eagerness to contribute wherever needed. These stories underscore the growing influence of British South Asians across all levels of the beautiful game – from on‑field pioneers like Benning and Choudhury to trailblazing women’s internationals such as Mahmood, and even to boardrooms where strategic investments shape the future of elite clubs. For more in‑depth features, videos and commentary, visit the South Asians in Football hub on Sky Sports and join the conversation.