Rehman the pioneer

It has long been a source of debate why there are so few Asian players in English football and none at the top level — until now. Zesh Rehman, whose parents are from Pakistan, is the first British Asian to command a regular place in the top flight.

The Fulham defender broke into Chris Coleman’s team this season and has not looked back or out of place alongside fellow Brummie Zat Knight in a central defensive pairing that looks to be the future for Fulham.

While Rehman (21) is aware that he is breaking new ground, he wants to attract attention and be judged on his footballing abilities rather than his ethnic background. But that is not to say that he does not have strong opinions on the issue, or original ideas.

‘There are quite a lot of things that stop Asians making it in football,” he says. ‘We get stereotyped as being too weak physically, or not having the right diet, and then people presume we like cricket rather than football. Often we are judged before we are watched. And, of course, there is no role model, no one to look up to and say, ‘Yeah maybe it can happen.’ If kids start to look at me as a role model, that’s great.”

If that happens, says Rehman, he will ‘try and set an example, especially to young kids. You can’t be seen doing the wrong things.” His heroes, perhaps inappropriately, were Paul Gascoigne, Eric Cantona and Rio Ferdinand, who might have done better as role models.

The nearest Rehman has come to trouble was being spotted playing in the park near his home last week, prompting Coleman to have a word about the risks of putting down jumpers for goalposts just days before three huge games for Fulham.

His family have always supported Rehman and his brother, who was on Brentford’s books until injury curtailed his professional dreams.

‘My family have made sacrifices since we were young,” Zesh says. ‘We didn’t have a lot of money, but they always made sure we got boots and travelled to games. They still do that now and I’m very grateful. They learnt a lot about football and now my mum knows she can’t serve curry all the time.” —