BANGLADESH CAN BE ‘FUTURE GOAL’
British Asian footballer Choudhury aims to stay connected to his heritage
WATFORD midfielder Hamza Choudhury has said it would be an “honour” to play for Bangladesh.
Born to a Grenadian father and a Bangladeshi mother, Choudhury has represented England under-21s, but admitted he was open to switching allegiance to Bangladesh.
“Yeah I think so, I definitely think so,” he said when asked if he would like to play for the south Asian nation.
“I want to see how well I do in the next couple of years, but I would be more than proud, more than honoured to go and play for Bangladesh, and almost have more of a reach, going back there more regularly.”
Choudhury, 24, was speaking at Watford’s training ground during an event to celebrate his appointment as an ambassador for Muslim athlete group Nujum Sports.
He is the only British Bangladeshi to have played in the Premier League. He made 53 appearances for Leicester City before going out on loan to Watford at the start of this season.
“I was surprised at the beginning, I think [about the impact of my success back in Bangladesh],” he said.
“Maybe that was because my family have tried to keep me as grounded as possible, when I first made my debut and after my first few games, and stuff like that.
“I didn’t realise how much of an impact it could actually have until the messages were like flowing and flowing. My mum used to be up all night because my aunties and cousins were calling from Bangladesh.
“That sort of opened my eyes to just how much reach you do have as a professional footballer – especially as a south Asian footballer.”
Choudhury has often spoken about his love for Bangladesh, revealing he used to go back to visit his mother’s family every year in Sylhet.
He hopes to be able to give back to Bangladesh, and also wants his children to experience the country.
“It is definitely something I feel a strong connection with and want to tap into. And I want to help and share my experiences with people.
“You work hard and you reap the benefits, but for me it’s also about wanting to share that with other people and let them enjoy that with me, I guess.
“Maybe I’ll go back to Bangladesh during the winter break, we’ll see how many days we get off [because of the Qatar World Cup]. I want to take my kids back there, because I want to give them a bit of my childhood. We used to go every year back to Bangladesh, literally, from when I was one, and it’s a different world.”
The tough-tackling midfielder, who is playing at Watford for the season, is aiming to spearhead’s the club’s return to the Premier League.
“I spoke to the gaffer (head coach Rob Edwards) quite a few times before I came, and he spoke to me about what he wants me to do,” Choudhury explained. “He made me feel right at home and the lads have really helped me settle in. It’s an amazing bunch of lads.
“I watched a few of their games and I had heard a lot of positive things about the gaffer. And so far, it feels like the right decision with the squad and manager. It’s a great club,” he said.