By Emb Hashmi
Zesh Rehman has played a pivotal role in introducing the south Asian talent to the ‘real’ world of football, however the road to success was not without its penalties, thankfully his strong believe his passion and sheer dedication to for the game helped him to achieve the ultimate football dream. Zesh exclusively spoke to Asian World about his life in football, the support he received from his father and what his working on now.
Questions
Zesh in his own words?
I was the first British Asian to play in the English Premier League when I made my debut for Fulham at Anfield. I also played for Brighton, Norwich, Blackpool, Bradford City and QPR.
When did you passion for football start, why and how?
My main passion for football was really filtered from my dad (Khalid). My dad was a huge Villa fan and he used to go to Villa Park back in the early 80’s with his friend – if you think this was a time when the National Front were a force but my dad always said that he felt safe at a football stadium.
At any point whilst trying to become a success and entering the football world was there ever a point you wanted to just give up?
From a young age I have always had to put up with certain stereotypes such as Asians prefer cricket, scared of the weather, have the wrong diet or their parents push them more towards education than sport. For me it has always been about balancing everything I do in life – my parents made sure that I never missed training or a match for my teams but at the same time they still encouraged me to do well academically and I left school with 9 A-C’s in my GCSE’s. As mentioned, a few ignorant people have tried to put me of football but I have always used it as a motivational fuel to succeed and prove the doubters wrong.
Who is your all time football hero?
At the time I was growing up Gazza was the folk hero at the time but as I got older I also mirrored my game on the way Rio Ferdinand plays as I always admired his composure on the ball and ability to play from the back.
What are you doing now?
I’m currently playing for Kitchee SC in Hong Kong. It is my second season for Kitchee after winning the treble last season. I have has several offers from other Countries including Australia, Cyprus, Iran, Malaysia and the Middle East.
What team do you support and why?
I have been an Aston Villa fan for as long as I can remember – this really filtered down from my dad.
What is the best thing you have ever done?
There are two – Making my debut for Fulham at Anfield and Captaining Pakistan.
What is the worst thing you have ever done?
Scoring an own goal for QPR against Luton Town during an FA Cup match – we lost the game one nil.
What did you think of the recent match? Bradford winning against Villa.. your thoughts on the game?
I had mixed feelings as obviously I’m a Villa fan but deep down I was really please for Bradford City as I spent two excellent years there as captain. It’s a great family club which has a fantastic supporter base and is run by two guys (Mark Lawn and Dave Baldwin) who have so much love for the game. I really hope Bradford go on to win the cup as it would not only be great for the club but the city as a whole.
Your favourite food/restaurant? Nandos
Your favourite place in the world? Football pitch
Your favourite past time/hobby? Snooker
Your favourite film? Men of Honour
Your all-time favourite football match both one you have played in and one you keep watching? One of the best games I played in was when I was at Fulham and we played Newcastle United at St James’ Park. We won 4-1 and I played centre-back and was marking Alan Shearer and Patrick Kluivert – two world class strikers. The game I really enjoy watching is the Champions League Final between AC Milan and Liverpool in 2005. Liverpool was 3 nil down at half-time and came back to draw 3-3 and then win the game on penalties – absolutely fantastic.
