Zeshan Rehman
Encyclopedia
Zeshan "Zesh" Rehman is a British Pakistani football defender
who plays for Muangthong United in the Thai Premier League. He was the first British Asian
to start a Premier League match and is the first to have played in all four divisions of professional football in England. He also plays for the Pakistan national football team
and was the first Pakistani international footballer to play professional football in England and Thailand.
He started his career at Fulham
and made a total of 21 league appearances. During his time at Fulham he had loan spells at Brighton & Hove Albion
and Norwich City
. Having previously represented England
at under-18
, under-19
and under-20
levels, in 2005 he made his debut for Pakistan. A transfer to Queens Park Rangers followed and he went on to make 46 appearances for the west London-based club. During his three-year stint there he went on loan to Brighton & Hove Albion, Blackpool
and Bradford City. The third transfer of his career involved him moving to Bradford on a free transfer in June 2009. So far Rehman has made eight appearances for the Pakistan national team and has participated in the World Cup 2010 qualifiers
. Outside of football he is known for being an ambassador for Kick It Out, the Asian Football Network and the Show Racism The Red Card
campaign. In addition to this he has appeared on BBC Radio 1Xtra
and writes a blog for Setanta Sports
, as well as running his own foundation.
. His father is Khalid Rehman. As a child in Birmingham he played for his local Sunday league
team, Kingshurst. He was brought up in the Aston
area of the city and often played football on the streets in addition to representing his school, his district and his county in football.
and moved with his family to London where he joined the Fulham Academy
. He progressed through the junior, youth and reserve teams at Fulham
. He made his debut for Fulham in 2004 in the Premier League at Anfield
against Liverpool
, and by doing so he was able to garner some media attention from British Asian
groups by being the first British Asian player to play in the top division of English football. Although a centre back
by trade, Rehman was used as a holding midfielder as well as right back
in his career at Fulham.
In the 2003–04 season
, when he was 19 years old, he was sent on loan to Brighton & Hove Albion
, initially for one month until November, however this was extended to three months ending in January 2004. He made eleven league appearances, scoring two goals. In January 2006 he signed for Championship
club Norwich City
on loan for the rest of the season as defensive cover for the injury-hit club. He made five starts for them.
Having made 30 appearances in all competitions for Fulham, 26 from the starting line up and four as a substitute, Rehman had to consider his options if he was to get regular football. Although he had two years remaining on his contract, he wanted to play regular first team football, and as a result, he decided to spend the next two seasons getting as much experience as possible. He scored once for Fulham, in a League Cup tie against Lincoln City on 21 September 2005.
, Rehman signed for Championship club Queens Park Rangers
(QPR) from Fulham on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee. After completing his move, Rehman said, "All I want to do is play; the money doesn't interest me anymore. I could have sat at Fulham and just been happy to pick up my wages but that's not what I am all about."
QPR had only just avoided relegation the previous season and had a new manager in Gary Waddock
in charge. In his first season at QPR, Rehman made 27 appearances.
Towards the end of the season Rehman was sent on loan to former club Brighton & Hove Albion for a month where he gained more first team football experience. He made his debut on 24 March 2007 in a 0–0 draw against Huddersfield Town
. He ended his loan stint by playing the full 90 minutes, and earning a yellow card in the process, for the final game of the League One
season in a 1–1 draw at Cheltenham Town
on 5 May 2007, claiming an assist for the opening goal. He featured in eight full games during his loan spell.
Returning to QPR at the start of the new season, chances were limited. The 3–1 victory over Leicester City
on New Years Day 2008 was Rehman's 50th game in all competitions since leaving Fulham in 2006. Rehman finished the 2007–08 season in the starting line for QPR against the Championship's new champions, West Bromwich Albion
.
in a six-month loan deal on 31 July 2008, along with teammate Daniel Nardiello
, who joined the club on a permanent basis, while Blackpool defender Kaspars Gorkss
moved to QPR in exchange. He made his debut for Blackpool as a second-half substitute for Jermaine Wright
in a 2–0 defeat at League Two
club Macclesfield Town
in the first round of the 2008–09 Carling Cup on 12 August 2008. He was used as an emergency striker due to injuries to three of the club's strikers. He made his league debut the following Saturday, in a 1–1 draw at Norwich City, coming on early in the second half to replace defender Danny Coid
.
Three months into his loan spell, in early October, Rehman said of his move to play for Blackpool: "I'm quite glad to get away from all the hustle and bustle of London. I really like it up here in Blackpool
; it's a good club with an ambitious young manager. Hopefully, over the next few months I can convince Simon Grayson I'm worthy of a long-term contract." On 31 December he returned to QPR after having made three league appearances, all of which were as a substitute.
, which was to last until the end of the 2008–09 season
. Rehman had turned down a chance to move to Luton Town
and team up with Mick Harford
, who was previously the assistant manager at QPR, and said he was only prepared to drop down to League Two if he joined Bradford City, whose new ambassador Omar Khan helped to engineer the move. Rehman said of the move, "I was only prepared to drop down the leagues to play for this club. I spoke to the manager and chairmen and I know they want to get Bradford back up to where they belong. I’ve been involved in relegation battles in the past and it’s nice to be joining a club pushing for promotion – that’s a good pressure to have." He made his debut the following day in a 1–0 defeat to Bury
at Gigg Lane
, and in doing so became the first British Asian to play in all four divisions of professional football in England, something which he described in his online blog as "a momentous occasion" and expressed his hope that it inspires the next generation of [British] Asian footballers. He played at left back, coming in for Luke O'Brien
, who had taken ill on the day of the match. He made his home debut on 31 January, playing at right back, in a 2–0 home win over Grimsby Town
at Valley Parade
. In March he turned down the chance to play for Pakistan in the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup
qualifiers
in order to help Bradford's push for promotion.
Rehman signed a two-year deal with Bradford City on 19 June, saying of the move, "My gut feeling told me to sign for Bradford and I've absolutely no regrets. From day one I felt at home here. I'm fortunate enough to have played in all the divisions and I see this as the next step of my journey." The Bradford manager, Stuart McCall
also revealed that Rehman had taken a large pay cut by joining the club, adding, "Zesh is certainly not signing for Bradford for money—he wants to be a success here, and it will be great to have him on board." He scored his first goal for the club in a 2–2 draw with Barnet on 19 September 2009.
Rehman was named club captain and team vice-captain at the start of the 2009–10 season and went on to play 42 games and skipper the side on 35 occasions during the season. He won the PFA Player In The Community awards on 25 March at The Football League Awards in recognition of his work as club captain in engaging the local community into the club across all levels. He later became club captain.
At the start of the following season new manager Peter Taylor kept Rehman as club captain hailing him a "supremely professional individual and a superb ambassador for the football club". However, in December 2010, he was stripped of his captaincy and placed on the transfer list following a disciplinary matter. He had played only 12 games up to that point of the season and said in the days before, "I'm not going to lie, it's left a bad taste in my mouth having to watch the last few games from the bench," but added, "At the end of the day, the manager has to pick the team that he thinks can win and you have to respect that and get on with it."
; his new side lost 2–1. His appearance made him the first British Asian and Pakistan international to play in Thailand.
, under-19
and under-20
levels. Becoming the first English-born Asian to don an England senior football shirt seemed too far away, however, due to lack of first team opportunities at Fulham. Due to his Pakistani parentage, and because he possessed dual Pakistani and British nationality, Rehman also qualified to represent Pakistan, and he eventually opted to play for them, as he considered it to be a more realistic option. A lot of British Asian groups were against this and wanted him to fight more for an England place to set a standard for English-Asian youth.
It was, however, an unrealistic aspiration. With that in mind, and with the blessings of his father, Rehman made his international debut for Pakistan in a 1–0 win over Sri Lanka
in the 2005
South Asian Football Federation Championship
on 7 December 2005 at the Peoples Football Stadium
in Karachi
. Rehman described his international debut as one of the best memories he has in football, adding, "The reception I received from the first moment till the last was unforgettable. I felt loved, appreciated, respected and wanted and most of all the interest in football really grew immensely." Pakistan ultimately reached the semi-finals before losing out to Bangladesh
1–0.
In that short space of time Rehman helped to raise the profile of the game in Pakistan, encouraging youngsters to play the game and also help to raise the profile of Pakistan in the United Kingdom and on a global stage.
Rehman was named in the Pakistan squad for the World Cup 2010 qualifiers against Iraq
in October 2007, and played the match in Lahore
but could not help contain the current Asian champions Iraq from winning 7–0. In the second leg on 28 October he captained Pakistan to a 0–0 draw.
Due to club commitments and injury he had to miss out on the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers
for Pakistan, a situation that proved costly for the national team as defensive blunders cost them the chance of qualifying despite a promising start to the campaign. He also had to withdraw from the squad for the SAFF Championship 2008
when he came down with food poisoning.
After nearly four years out, Rehman returned to the Pakistan team for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers where he played twice.
Rehman caused some controversy in 2007 when in an interview with the British weekly newspaper the Eastern Eye
he said that players of Asian descent should consider sticking to their roots rather than dreaming of playing for England. Rehman pointed to Michael Chopra
, then with Cardiff City
, who had been overlooked to play for England
despite being the top scorer in the Championship, yet David Nugent
, who was then at fellow Championship club Preston North End
, was picked. Rehman claimed "Why wasn’t (Chopra) picked ahead of Dave Nugent? He’s the top goal scorer in the Championship but he can’t get in (the England set-up). So he needs to maybe look at his decision and go play for India instead of hanging on to the dream of playing for England, because it’s not going to happen, end of discussion." Rehman though criticised Eastern Eye for how they reported his views, saying, "I’m pleased with my decision (to play for Pakistan) but I had a problem, especially with Eastern Eye. You said I turned my back on England. I didn’t like the way that came across. If [as an Asian] you are not getting opportunities (to play for England) when you are playing in the Premier League, then Asian players are always going to be overlooked. When it comes to it, they need to stick to their roots."
(PFA) to try to increase the number of British Asians taking up a career in professional football, and has attended meetings with the PFA in order to achieve this goal. In January 2007 he took part in the London 'One Game' initiative held at The FA
headquarters in Soho Square
, London. He has also been involved in the Show Racism The Red Card
campaign and he has taken part in Chelsea
's "Search for an Asian Star" campaign. On 12 July 2008 he took part in the Islam Expo
event at the Olympia
exhibition centre
in West Kensington, London
, a four day event whose primary purpose was to build bridges between Britain's Muslim communities and the rest of society. Rehman took part in a panel giving feedback from his own experiences about the positive use of sport.
In April 2008, Rehman appeared on the United States based Afghan
satellite
television network Noor TV
and Bangladesh
-based Islamic TV
discussing being a Muslim footballer and how it is possible to pursue a career in football while sticking to Islamic roots. On 20 April 2008 he was a guest on the BBC Asian Network
radio station show Breakdown revealing his favourite Desi
music tunes. In May 2008 Rehman was awarded the Community Commitment Award at QPR. In April 2008 Rehman took part in a radio documentary on BBC Radio 1Xtra
about British Asians in football which followed his "journey from playground to Premier League".
In May 2010 he launched The Zesh Rehman Foundation at Valley Parade
to encourage children from all backgrounds to participate in football and sport to better themselves. He was named as one of the 50 World Cup Bid Ambassadors for The FA's World Cup 2018 bid, entered the Show Racism Red Card Hall of Fame and was invited onto the PFA managenent committee by Gordon Taylor.
In September 2011, he launched his iPhone
application aimed at helping players who move overseas with the language barrier.
He lists snooker
, cinema and socialising as hobbies. He is also fluent in Punjabi
and Urdu
as well as English. He has a brother, called Rizwan, who played for Brentford
, but was forced to retire early due to an injury.
|2003–04||Fulham
||Premier League||1||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0||2||0
|-
|2003–04
||Brighton & Hove Albion
||Second Division
||11||2||colspan="2"|-||2The two cup appearances for Brighton in 2003–04 were in the Football League Trophy
||0||13||2
|-
|2004–05||rowspan="2"|Fulham
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||17||0||2||0||4||0||23||0
|-
|2005–06||3||0||colspan="2"|-||2||1||5||1
|-
|2005–06
||Norwich City
||Championship
||5||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||5||0
|-
|2006–07||Brighton & Hove Albion
||League One
||8||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||8||0
|-
|2006–07||rowspan="2"|Queens Park Rangers
||rowspan="3"|Championship
||25||0||1||0||1||0||27||0
|-
|2007–08||21||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0||23||0
|-
|2008–09
||Blackpool
||4||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0||5||0
|-
|2008–09||rowspan="3"|Bradford City
||rowspan="3"|League Two
||17||0||colspan="2"|-||0||0||17||0
|-
|2009–10||40||2||1||0||1||0||42||2
|-
|2010–11
||8||0||1||0||3||0||12||0
|-
158||4||5||0||16||1||180||5
158||4||5||0||16||1||180||5
Source: http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=36002
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
who plays for Muangthong United in the Thai Premier League. He was the first British Asian
British Asian
British Asian is a term used to describe British citizens who descended from mainly South Asia, also known as South Asians in the United Kingdom...
to start a Premier League match and is the first to have played in all four divisions of professional football in England. He also plays for the Pakistan national football team
Pakistan national football team
The Pakistan national football team is controlled by the Pakistan Football Federation and is a member of the Asian Football Confederation . The team has not yet qualified for either the FIFA World Cup or Asian Cup championships. Twice they have finished third in the South Asian Football Federation...
and was the first Pakistani international footballer to play professional football in England and Thailand.
He started his career at Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
and made a total of 21 league appearances. During his time at Fulham he had loan spells at Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
and Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
. Having previously represented England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
at under-18
England national under-18 football team
-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the friendly match against Slovakia.-Recent call-ups:The following players have also been called up to the England under-18 squad and remain eligible.-References:...
, under-19
England national under-19 football team
-Other matches:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the friendly match against Denmark.- Recent call-ups :The following players have also been called up to the England under-19 squad and remain eligible.-Past squads:...
and under-20
England national under-20 football team
- Round of 16 :-Friendlies:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup running from 29 July to the 20 August 2011.-Recent call-ups:...
levels, in 2005 he made his debut for Pakistan. A transfer to Queens Park Rangers followed and he went on to make 46 appearances for the west London-based club. During his three-year stint there he went on loan to Brighton & Hove Albion, Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
and Bradford City. The third transfer of his career involved him moving to Bradford on a free transfer in June 2009. So far Rehman has made eight appearances for the Pakistan national team and has participated in the World Cup 2010 qualifiers
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - AFC First Round
This page provides the summaries of the AFC First Round matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:In this round teams ranked from 6–24 were randomly drawn against teams ranked from 25–43, and the draw took place on 6 August 2007 in the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
. Outside of football he is known for being an ambassador for Kick It Out, the Asian Football Network and the Show Racism The Red Card
Show Racism The Red Card
Show Racism the Red Card is an anti-racism education charity, established in England in January 1996 to harness the high profile nature of footballers as anti-racist role models to educate against racism throughout society in the United Kingdom....
campaign. In addition to this he has appeared on BBC Radio 1Xtra
BBC Radio 1Xtra
BBC Radio 1Xtra is a digital radio station in the United Kingdom from the BBC specialising in new black music, sometimes referred to as urban music. Launched at 18:00 on 16 August 2002, it had been codenamed Network X during the consulation period and is the sister station to BBC Radio 1...
and writes a blog for Setanta Sports
Setanta Sports
Setanta Sports is an international sports broadcaster based in Dublin, Ireland. Setanta Sports was formed in 1990 to facilitate the broadcasting of Irish sporting events...
, as well as running his own foundation.
Early life
Rehman was born on 14 October 1983 in BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. His father is Khalid Rehman. As a child in Birmingham he played for his local Sunday league
Sunday league football
Sunday league football is a term used in the United Kingdom to describe those association football leagues which play on Sunday, as opposed to the more usual Saturday. These leagues tend to be lower standard amateur competitions, whose players may have less ability, or less time to devote to...
team, Kingshurst. He was brought up in the Aston
Aston
Aston is an area of the City of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Lying to the north-east of the Birmingham city centre, Aston constitutes an electoral ward within the council constituency of Ladywood.-History:...
area of the city and often played football on the streets in addition to representing his school, his district and his county in football.
Fulham
When he was just twelve years old he was spotted by a scoutScout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
and moved with his family to London where he joined the Fulham Academy
Fulham Academy
The Fulham Academy, headed by Huw Jennings, runs along the lines of many of the English football academies as deemed appropriate by the national governing body, the FA. Players dealt with by the academy can be aged as young as nine years old...
. He progressed through the junior, youth and reserve teams at Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
. He made his debut for Fulham in 2004 in the Premier League at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, and by doing so he was able to garner some media attention from British Asian
British Asian
British Asian is a term used to describe British citizens who descended from mainly South Asia, also known as South Asians in the United Kingdom...
groups by being the first British Asian player to play in the top division of English football. Although a centre back
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
by trade, Rehman was used as a holding midfielder as well as right back
Right Back
-Guest Artists:This album features many additional artists, including:* Barrington Levy, performing on "Righteous Dub" & "Saw Red"* H.R., performing on "New Sun"* Dangr, performing on "Kick Down"* Tippa Irie, performing on "Sensi"...
in his career at Fulham.
2003-04 in English football
The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
, when he was 19 years old, he was sent on loan to Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
, initially for one month until November, however this was extended to three months ending in January 2004. He made eleven league appearances, scoring two goals. In January 2006 he signed for Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
club Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
on loan for the rest of the season as defensive cover for the injury-hit club. He made five starts for them.
Having made 30 appearances in all competitions for Fulham, 26 from the starting line up and four as a substitute, Rehman had to consider his options if he was to get regular football. Although he had two years remaining on his contract, he wanted to play regular first team football, and as a result, he decided to spend the next two seasons getting as much experience as possible. He scored once for Fulham, in a League Cup tie against Lincoln City on 21 September 2005.
Queens Park Rangers
On 8 August 2006, just prior to the start of the 2006–07 season2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
, Rehman signed for Championship club Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
(QPR) from Fulham on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee. After completing his move, Rehman said, "All I want to do is play; the money doesn't interest me anymore. I could have sat at Fulham and just been happy to pick up my wages but that's not what I am all about."
QPR had only just avoided relegation the previous season and had a new manager in Gary Waddock
Gary Waddock
Gary Patrick Waddock is a former professional and international footballer. He is currently manager at League One club Wycombe Wanderers. He formerly managed Queens Park Rangers and Aldershot Town...
in charge. In his first season at QPR, Rehman made 27 appearances.
Towards the end of the season Rehman was sent on loan to former club Brighton & Hove Albion for a month where he gained more first team football experience. He made his debut on 24 March 2007 in a 0–0 draw against Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
. He ended his loan stint by playing the full 90 minutes, and earning a yellow card in the process, for the final game of the League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
season in a 1–1 draw at Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...
on 5 May 2007, claiming an assist for the opening goal. He featured in eight full games during his loan spell.
Returning to QPR at the start of the new season, chances were limited. The 3–1 victory over Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
on New Years Day 2008 was Rehman's 50th game in all competitions since leaving Fulham in 2006. Rehman finished the 2007–08 season in the starting line for QPR against the Championship's new champions, West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
.
Loan move to Blackpool
Rehman joined BlackpoolBlackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
in a six-month loan deal on 31 July 2008, along with teammate Daniel Nardiello
Daniel Nardiello
Daniel Antony Nardiello is an English-born Welsh footballer. A forward who currently plays for Exeter City, he is the son of former Wales international Donato Nardiello and cousin of Reis Ashraf and Michael Nardiello....
, who joined the club on a permanent basis, while Blackpool defender Kaspars Gorkss
Kaspars Gorkšs
Kaspars Gorkšs is a Latvian footballer who plays for Reading as a defender. He is also a regular with the Latvia national team.-Club career:...
moved to QPR in exchange. He made his debut for Blackpool as a second-half substitute for Jermaine Wright
Jermaine Wright
Jermaine Malaki Wright is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder and can also operate as a defender.-Football career:...
in a 2–0 defeat at League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
club Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...
in the first round of the 2008–09 Carling Cup on 12 August 2008. He was used as an emergency striker due to injuries to three of the club's strikers. He made his league debut the following Saturday, in a 1–1 draw at Norwich City, coming on early in the second half to replace defender Danny Coid
Danny Coid
Daniel John "Danny" Coid is an English professional footballer who plays for Accrington Stanley.-Blackpool:Born in Liverpool, Merseyside, Coid started his career with Blackpool in 1995, when he was in the youth team. He was then a trainee before signing his first professional contract in 1998...
.
Three months into his loan spell, in early October, Rehman said of his move to play for Blackpool: "I'm quite glad to get away from all the hustle and bustle of London. I really like it up here in Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
; it's a good club with an ambitious young manager. Hopefully, over the next few months I can convince Simon Grayson I'm worthy of a long-term contract." On 31 December he returned to QPR after having made three league appearances, all of which were as a substitute.
Loan move to Bradford City
On 26 January 2009, Rehman signed a loan deal with League Two club Bradford CityBradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
, which was to last until the end of the 2008–09 season
Bradford City A.F.C. season 2008–09
The 2008–09 season was the 106th season in Bradford City A.F.C.'s history, their 94th in The Football League and 96th in the league system of English football...
. Rehman had turned down a chance to move to Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
and team up with Mick Harford
Mick Harford
Michael Gordon "Mick" Harford , is an English former football player turned manager. He is former manager of Rotherham and Luton Town and has also been caretaker manager of Nottingham Forest and QPR...
, who was previously the assistant manager at QPR, and said he was only prepared to drop down to League Two if he joined Bradford City, whose new ambassador Omar Khan helped to engineer the move. Rehman said of the move, "I was only prepared to drop down the leagues to play for this club. I spoke to the manager and chairmen and I know they want to get Bradford back up to where they belong. I’ve been involved in relegation battles in the past and it’s nice to be joining a club pushing for promotion – that’s a good pressure to have." He made his debut the following day in a 1–0 defeat to Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
at Gigg Lane
Gigg Lane
Gigg Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. Historically within Lancashire, it was built for Bury F.C. in 1885, and has been their home ever since.-History:...
, and in doing so became the first British Asian to play in all four divisions of professional football in England, something which he described in his online blog as "a momentous occasion" and expressed his hope that it inspires the next generation of [British] Asian footballers. He played at left back, coming in for Luke O'Brien
Luke O'Brien
Luke O'Brien is a professional footballer for Bradford City, as a left back.-Career:Born in Halifax, England, on 11 September 1988, O'Brien attended Holy Trinity Senior School in the town...
, who had taken ill on the day of the match. He made his home debut on 31 January, playing at right back, in a 2–0 home win over Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
at Valley Parade
Valley Parade
Valley Parade, also known as the Coral Windows Stadium through sponsorship rights, is an all-seater football stadium in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It was built in 1886, and was the home of Manningham Rugby Football Club until 1903, when they changed code from rugby football to association...
. In March he turned down the chance to play for Pakistan in the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup
AFC Challenge Cup
The AFC Challenge Cup is an international football competition for emerging nations that are members of the Asian Football Confederation. The first tournament was hosted by Bangladesh in 2006...
qualifiers
2010 AFC Challenge Cup qualification
The 2010 AFC Challenge Cup qualification phase will see five teams advance to the finals to join three automatic qualifiers in the final tournament in Sri Lanka.Qualification consists of two sections....
in order to help Bradford's push for promotion.
Bradford City
After being released by QPR on 19 May 2009,Rehman signed a two-year deal with Bradford City on 19 June, saying of the move, "My gut feeling told me to sign for Bradford and I've absolutely no regrets. From day one I felt at home here. I'm fortunate enough to have played in all the divisions and I see this as the next step of my journey." The Bradford manager, Stuart McCall
Stuart McCall
Andrew Stuart Murray McCall , usually known as Stuart McCall, is a former footballer who played in central midfield. He played a total of 763 league games during his career, the 13th highest of all British footballers...
also revealed that Rehman had taken a large pay cut by joining the club, adding, "Zesh is certainly not signing for Bradford for money—he wants to be a success here, and it will be great to have him on board." He scored his first goal for the club in a 2–2 draw with Barnet on 19 September 2009.
Rehman was named club captain and team vice-captain at the start of the 2009–10 season and went on to play 42 games and skipper the side on 35 occasions during the season. He won the PFA Player In The Community awards on 25 March at The Football League Awards in recognition of his work as club captain in engaging the local community into the club across all levels. He later became club captain.
At the start of the following season new manager Peter Taylor kept Rehman as club captain hailing him a "supremely professional individual and a superb ambassador for the football club". However, in December 2010, he was stripped of his captaincy and placed on the transfer list following a disciplinary matter. He had played only 12 games up to that point of the season and said in the days before, "I'm not going to lie, it's left a bad taste in my mouth having to watch the last few games from the bench," but added, "At the end of the day, the manager has to pick the team that he thinks can win and you have to respect that and get on with it."
Muangthong United
Rehman signed a two-year deal with Thai Premier League side Muangthong United on 19 December 2010. He made his debut on 30 January 2011, in the King's Trophy against Chonburi Sharks at the Suphachalasai StadiumSuphachalasai Stadium
Suphachalasai Stadium, also known as the National Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The stadium holds 26,000 people and was opened in 1935.-History:...
; his new side lost 2–1. His appearance made him the first British Asian and Pakistan international to play in Thailand.
International career
Rehman originally represented England, and played for them at under-18England national under-18 football team
-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the friendly match against Slovakia.-Recent call-ups:The following players have also been called up to the England under-18 squad and remain eligible.-References:...
, under-19
England national under-19 football team
-Other matches:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the friendly match against Denmark.- Recent call-ups :The following players have also been called up to the England under-19 squad and remain eligible.-Past squads:...
and under-20
England national under-20 football team
- Round of 16 :-Friendlies:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup running from 29 July to the 20 August 2011.-Recent call-ups:...
levels. Becoming the first English-born Asian to don an England senior football shirt seemed too far away, however, due to lack of first team opportunities at Fulham. Due to his Pakistani parentage, and because he possessed dual Pakistani and British nationality, Rehman also qualified to represent Pakistan, and he eventually opted to play for them, as he considered it to be a more realistic option. A lot of British Asian groups were against this and wanted him to fight more for an England place to set a standard for English-Asian youth.
It was, however, an unrealistic aspiration. With that in mind, and with the blessings of his father, Rehman made his international debut for Pakistan in a 1–0 win over Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka national football team
The Sri Lanka national football team represents Sri Lanka in association football and is controlled by the Football Federation of Sri Lanka, the governing body for football in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka's home grounds are Sugathadasa Stadium and Kalutara Stadium and their head coach is Jang Jung...
in the 2005
South Asian Football Federation Gold Cup 2005
The 2005 South Asian Football Federation Cup was hosted in Karachi, Pakistan from December 7 to December 17.Bangladesh and India played out the final in a repeat of the 1999 final. Just as in the 1999 final, India beat Bangladesh 2-0 with goals from Mehraj Din Wadoo and Baichung Bhutia. Bhutia was...
South Asian Football Federation Championship
SAFF Championship
The SAFF Championship, also called the South Asian Football Federation Cup , is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by the South Asian Football Federation. Previous names have included the South Asian Association of Regional Co-operation Gold Cup in 1993 and...
on 7 December 2005 at the Peoples Football Stadium
Peoples Football Stadium
The Peoples Football Stadium, is located near Port Grand, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It is owned by the City District Government of Karachi. It has a capacity of over 40,000.The stadium was built in 1988, and opened on 9 December 1995. It covers an area of...
in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
. Rehman described his international debut as one of the best memories he has in football, adding, "The reception I received from the first moment till the last was unforgettable. I felt loved, appreciated, respected and wanted and most of all the interest in football really grew immensely." Pakistan ultimately reached the semi-finals before losing out to Bangladesh
Bangladesh national football team
The Bangladesh national football team is the national team of Bangladesh controlled by the Bangladesh Football Federation. It is a member of the Asian Football Confederation and has yet to qualify for the World Cup finals...
1–0.
In that short space of time Rehman helped to raise the profile of the game in Pakistan, encouraging youngsters to play the game and also help to raise the profile of Pakistan in the United Kingdom and on a global stage.
Rehman was named in the Pakistan squad for the World Cup 2010 qualifiers against Iraq
Iraq national football team
The Iraqi national football team represents Iraq in international football and is controlled by the Iraq Football Association. They won the 2007 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup tournament.-The Golden Generation:...
in October 2007, and played the match in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
but could not help contain the current Asian champions Iraq from winning 7–0. In the second leg on 28 October he captained Pakistan to a 0–0 draw.
Due to club commitments and injury he had to miss out on the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers
2008 AFC Challenge Cup qualification
The qualification phase for the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup will see four teams advance to the finals to join four automatic qualifiers in the final tournament in India. Qualification was held from April 2 to May 28, 2008 in four different venues. Sixteen teams participated in qualification in four...
for Pakistan, a situation that proved costly for the national team as defensive blunders cost them the chance of qualifying despite a promising start to the campaign. He also had to withdraw from the squad for the SAFF Championship 2008
SAFF Championship 2008
The 2008 SAFF Championship was held in Malé, Maldives and Colombo, Sri Lanka between June 3 and June 14, 2008. '.Initially, the tournament was due to be held in 2007 but was postponed to 2008.-Group A:--------------------...
when he came down with food poisoning.
After nearly four years out, Rehman returned to the Pakistan team for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers where he played twice.
Eastern Eye (newspaper)
Eastern Eye is a British weekly newspaper. It was created in 1989 and was first published by The Guardian, before becoming a standalone newspaper.The company behind Eastern Eye changed several times since its foundation by Sarwar Ahmed...
he said that players of Asian descent should consider sticking to their roots rather than dreaming of playing for England. Rehman pointed to Michael Chopra
Michael Chopra
Rocky Michael Chopra is an English footballer who plays for Football League Championship side Ipswich Town. He is of mixed Indian and British descent....
, then with Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
, who had been overlooked to play for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
despite being the top scorer in the Championship, yet David Nugent
David Nugent
David James Nugent is an English footballer striker, who currently plays for Leicester City . Before joining Leicester, Nugent made a total of 228 appearances in the Football League playing for Bury, Preston North End and Portsmouth...
, who was then at fellow Championship club Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
, was picked. Rehman claimed "Why wasn’t (Chopra) picked ahead of Dave Nugent? He’s the top goal scorer in the Championship but he can’t get in (the England set-up). So he needs to maybe look at his decision and go play for India instead of hanging on to the dream of playing for England, because it’s not going to happen, end of discussion." Rehman though criticised Eastern Eye for how they reported his views, saying, "I’m pleased with my decision (to play for Pakistan) but I had a problem, especially with Eastern Eye. You said I turned my back on England. I didn’t like the way that came across. If [as an Asian] you are not getting opportunities (to play for England) when you are playing in the Premier League, then Asian players are always going to be overlooked. When it comes to it, they need to stick to their roots."
Personal life
Rehman has said that, his "sole purpose in trying to be a success as a professional footballer is to inspire other Asian players to follow my lead and achieve their goals." He is an ambassador for the Asian Football Network (AFN), a grassroots community-led initiative designed to support and facilitate the development of grassroots Asian football in the UK. He has also worked with the Professional Footballers' AssociationProfessional Footballers' Association
The Professional Footballers' Association is the trade union for professional footballers in England and Wales. The world's oldest professional sport trade union, it has 4,000 members....
(PFA) to try to increase the number of British Asians taking up a career in professional football, and has attended meetings with the PFA in order to achieve this goal. In January 2007 he took part in the London 'One Game' initiative held at The FA
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
headquarters in Soho Square
Soho Square
Soho Square is a square in Soho, London, England, with a park and garden area at its centre that dates back to 1681. It was originally called King Square after Charles II, whose statue stands in the square. At the centre of the garden, there is a distinctive half-timbered gardener's hut...
, London. He has also been involved in the Show Racism The Red Card
Show Racism The Red Card
Show Racism the Red Card is an anti-racism education charity, established in England in January 1996 to harness the high profile nature of footballers as anti-racist role models to educate against racism throughout society in the United Kingdom....
campaign and he has taken part in Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
's "Search for an Asian Star" campaign. On 12 July 2008 he took part in the Islam Expo
Islam expo
Islam Expo is an Islamic exhibition held in London in July 2006 and July 2008. In 2006 it was held at the Alexandra Palace in London, a city with a large Muslim population and it was described as being the largest Islamic exhibition ever held in Europe....
event at the Olympia
Olympia, London
Olympia is an exhibition centre and conference centre in West Kensington, on the boundary between The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham, London, W14 8UX, England. It opened in the 19th century and was originally known as the National Agricultural Hall.Opened in 1886,...
exhibition centre
Convention center
A convention center is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typically offer sufficient floor area to accommodate several thousand attendees...
in West Kensington, London
West Kensington, London
- Commercial/education :Local business consists of small shops, offices and restaurants, with the Olympia Exhibition Centre nearby. Indeed, it is the mix of local shops that give the area its character....
, a four day event whose primary purpose was to build bridges between Britain's Muslim communities and the rest of society. Rehman took part in a panel giving feedback from his own experiences about the positive use of sport.
In April 2008, Rehman appeared on the United States based Afghan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
satellite
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
television network Noor TV
Noor TV
-Entertainment:*Noor TV , a US based Afghan satellite television network*Noor TV Afghanistan, another Afghan television network, based in Afghanistan itself-Religious:*Noor TV , an Islam religious satellite television network based in the UK...
and Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
-based Islamic TV
Islamic TV
Islamic TV...
discussing being a Muslim footballer and how it is possible to pursue a career in football while sticking to Islamic roots. On 20 April 2008 he was a guest on the BBC Asian Network
BBC Asian Network
BBC Asian Network is a British radio station serving those originating from and around the Indian subcontinent. The music and news comes out of the main urban areas where there are significant communities with these backgrounds. The station has production centres in Birmingham, Leicester and London...
radio station show Breakdown revealing his favourite Desi
Desi
Desi or Deshi refers to the people, cultures, and products of the Indian subcontinent and, increasingly, to the people, cultures, and products of their diaspora. Desi countries include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh...
music tunes. In May 2008 Rehman was awarded the Community Commitment Award at QPR. In April 2008 Rehman took part in a radio documentary on BBC Radio 1Xtra
BBC Radio 1Xtra
BBC Radio 1Xtra is a digital radio station in the United Kingdom from the BBC specialising in new black music, sometimes referred to as urban music. Launched at 18:00 on 16 August 2002, it had been codenamed Network X during the consulation period and is the sister station to BBC Radio 1...
about British Asians in football which followed his "journey from playground to Premier League".
In May 2010 he launched The Zesh Rehman Foundation at Valley Parade
Valley Parade
Valley Parade, also known as the Coral Windows Stadium through sponsorship rights, is an all-seater football stadium in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It was built in 1886, and was the home of Manningham Rugby Football Club until 1903, when they changed code from rugby football to association...
to encourage children from all backgrounds to participate in football and sport to better themselves. He was named as one of the 50 World Cup Bid Ambassadors for The FA's World Cup 2018 bid, entered the Show Racism Red Card Hall of Fame and was invited onto the PFA managenent committee by Gordon Taylor.
In September 2011, he launched his iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
application aimed at helping players who move overseas with the language barrier.
He lists snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
, cinema and socialising as hobbies. He is also fluent in Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
and Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
as well as English. He has a brother, called Rizwan, who played for Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
, but was forced to retire early due to an injury.
Club career statistics
|-|2003–04||Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
||Premier League||1||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0||2||0
|-
|2003–04
The Football League 2003-04
The 2003–2004 season was the 104th completed season of The Football League.-Overview:This season was the last association football season in the football league where the divisions were known as "First", "Second", and "Third"...
||Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
||Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
||11||2||colspan="2"|-||2The two cup appearances for Brighton in 2003–04 were in the Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
||0||13||2
|-
|2004–05||rowspan="2"|Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||17||0||2||0||4||0||23||0
|-
|2005–06||3||0||colspan="2"|-||2||1||5||1
|-
|2005–06
Norwich City F.C. season 2005–06
-September:-October:-November:-December:-January:-February:-March:-April:-League Cup:-FA Cup:-In:-Out:-In:-Out:-First team squad:...
||Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
||Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||5||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||5||0
|-
|2006–07||Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||8||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||8||0
|-
|2006–07||rowspan="2"|Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
||rowspan="3"|Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||25||0||1||0||1||0||27||0
|-
|2007–08||21||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0||23||0
|-
|2008–09
Blackpool F.C. season 2008–09
The 2008-09 season was Blackpool F.C.s 102nd season in the Football League. It was also their second consecutive season in The Championship, the second tier of English football. They finished sixteenth.D. J...
||Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
||4||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0||5||0
|-
|2008–09||rowspan="3"|Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
||rowspan="3"|League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||17||0||colspan="2"|-||0||0||17||0
|-
|2009–10||40||2||1||0||1||0||42||2
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Bradford City A.F.C. season
The 2010–11 season is the 108th season in Bradford City A.F.C.'s history, their 96th in the Football League and 98th in the league system of English football...
||8||0||1||0||3||0||12||0
|-
158||4||5||0||16||1||180||5
158||4||5||0||16||1||180||5
Source: http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=36002