Zidane Iqbal on Wednesday became the first British South Asian footballer to play for English football team Manchester United. Iqbal, who has Pakistani and Iraqi heritage, joined Manchester United’s Champions League tie against Swiss side Young Boys in the closing stages of the game.
The 18-year-old footballer, who was born in Manchester, had signed a professional contract with the team in April this year. His father is of Pakistani background while his mother has Iraqi roots.
Speaking after the match, which ended in a 1-1 draw, Iqbal to Manchester United TV, “It feels amazing, I’ve been working my whole life for this opportunity, it’s a dream come true, it’s just the start and hopefully I can keep pushing on.”
He added, “It was crazy, I was waiting for the ball to go out, embracing it all, looking at the fans, when I came on the loud cheer from the fans was unreal.
“It was more excitement [than nerves], last night I just about slept. I was just embracing it all really, I was hoping to get a touch, I did thankfully, I really enjoyed it.”
1️⃣1️⃣ members of Wednesday's 1️⃣8️⃣-man matchday squad came through our famed #MUAcademy ????⚪️⚫️#MUFC | #UCL
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 8, 2021
A large group of Iqbal’s family and friends were present in the stadium to witness the history being made.
Iqbal, who has been named after football legend Zinadine Zidane, has never represented England at age-group level, but was called up by Iraq’s Under-23s for the West Asian Football Federation Championship. He was the captain of the side against Lebanon.