Bradford skipper continues to break down barriers

Bradford City club captain Zesh Rehman was aged just ten when he was told that he would not make the grade as a professional footballer due to the fact he hails from a Pakistani family

Facing such negative racial stereotyping has since proved to be a watershed moment in Rehman’s life. It strengthened his desire to succeed and his effort and endeavour were rewarded two years later when he joined Fulham. A trailblazing career of so many firsts has followed and history created.

Rehman, who was born and bred in Birmingham, is the first Pakistani/British Asian to start a Premier League game, play in the top four tiers of English football, compete in both the FA Cup and League Cup and represent all six clubs he has been at. In reaching such milestones, he has sparked plenty of interest, especially in the media. The 26-year-old is hoping his success story can prompt other Asians to follow in his footsteps.

?I’m well aware of the fact that there is only a handful of Asian players throughout the 92 league clubs in England,? he says. ?It’s been a personal mission of mine to change that since the age of 10 when I was told directly to my face that you wouldn’t make it because you’ve got the wrong diet, scared of the weather and assuming that I liked cricket more.

?I used that as motivational fuel to try and have a career in the game, not just for myself, but ultimately to try and open the doors for the next generation of Asian players to come through the ranks. I’d say it was a major turning point in my life, not just for me, but for my family as a whole.

?It was almost as if from that moment on we wanted to prove that one person wrong and having overcome certain obstacles and hurdles, hopefully I will have inspired a few of the Asian community and kids in general to take up sport and football.?

It would be difficult not to be inspired by Rehman. At 20, he made his Premier League debut for Fulham against Liverpool in 2004. It was a moment that was a long time in the making, both on a personal level and in terms of the wider social significance.

He recalls: ?Obviously that was a special day for me at Anfield. I won’t forget that in a hurry. There was a lot of media interest in me at the time and because of the lack of Asian players in English football.

?Much has been said about that and it remains a massive issue but I believe there are a lot of good Asian players out there and with positive steps forward, and in time, they will develop and come through the system if they’re good enough.?

Rehman made 30 senior appearances for Fulham and had loan spells at Brighton and Norwich before leaving in 2006 in the pursuit of regular first-team football at QPR.

Testing times, not for the first time in his career, lay ahead during his three years at Loftus Road.

?I had seven different managers during my time at QPR!? he stresses. ?It was frustrating because there were spells when I’d be a regular and a new manager would come in and I’d find myself out of the picture.?

A move to Bradford - initially on loan before joining on a permanent basis in July 2009 - has finally brought some stability for the defender, who ranks being the Yorkshire club’s first Asian captain as his most satisfying achievement to date.

?Bradford is a big city with a big Asian population so to be an Asian lad leading the club to try and increase the integration and social cohesion of the whole place is massive,? says Rehman, who won the 2010 PFA Player in the Community award in March in acknowledgement of his considerable work with a range of initiatives, including Show Racism The Red Card, Kick It Out and the Prince’s Trust.

?Being able to say that I’ve played in all the leagues is something I’m also immensely proud of. A lot of hard work and sacrifices have gone into that so I want to use that in a way to make a difference.?

That is why the Pakistan international captain, who represented England at various youth levels before switching allegiances, recently launched the Zesh Rehman Foundation.

?Football is a vehicle to get the kids on board, keep them out of trouble and help them to do something positive with their lives,? he enthuses. ?The aims of the Zesh Rehman Foundation are to encourage social cohesion and integration and I want it to be all inclusive.

?It’s not strictly just for Asian kids, it is actually to help provide opportunities for all kids from deprived and disadvantaged areas to better themselves through sport. I want to provide something for them to look back on and be proud of achieving something with their life. It might even be something as simple as eating healthy or starting to do regular exercise. It doesn’t have to be something as big as becoming a footballer at the end of the day.

?It’s also about showing British Asian kids a pathway into the football industry that will give them that hunger to be involved in football at whatever level.?

Rehman has high hopes for the scheme, but for now is focusing his attentions on establishing it within the Bradford area. That and helping the Bantams push for promotion from League Two next season as well as playing a prominent role behind the scenes at Valley Parade to strengthen the club’s links with the city’s large Asian community.

?The football will always be first and foremost my number one priority,? he continues. ?I’ve been at Bradford over a year now, played over 50 games for the club and had a full season as the captain, which has been a great learning experience. We’ve got very good chairmen here in Mark Lawn and Julian Rhodes and all the directors are pulling in the right direction to try and take the club to that next level.

?Off the pitch, the club has had its first Asian associate director, the first Asian sponsor and the crowd numbers have increased slightly, still not as much as we would have liked in terms of Asian fans coming in, but overall looking back over the year from a personal point of view it has been a success.?

Published 02/06/2010 | Ref: PFA EDUCATION

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