Dumbarton escape is a delight for Kler
KLER HEH used to kick a ball about barefoot on the rugged terrain of a cramped and crude refugee camp on the border of Myanmar and Thailand. His dream was to escape this living hell to become a professional footballer. Today, when he runs out in the colours of Dumbarton against visitors Dundee for their Scottish Cup fifth-round tie, it will be the latest staging post on a remarkable journey which saw him flee the squalor of his early days and resettle with his family in Sheffield. They were among thousands of people from the Karen region of Myanmar forced to flee their homes because of incessant conflict with a succession of military governments. The 19-year-old, who is on loan at the Sons from Sheffield United’s youth academy, said: ‘I knew nothing else but life in the village and my only escape was to kick a ball around with my friends.
‘We had no boots or shoes and had to play with our bare feet. Football helped me get away from the difficulties we all faced. ‘Our family — I have a brother and two sisters — all lived together in one room in a bamboo hut. The refugee camp was like a prison. It seemed there were no opportunities, no way out. ‘My father worked in a nearby town as a driver to earn money for the family while my mother looked after us.’ The Umpiem Mai refugee camp was a harsh environment with little tree cover, torrential rain and a cold climate with 13,000 cramped together. Thanks to United Nations intervention, many of the inhabitants, including the Heh family, were allowed to resettle abroad. Struggling to learn English in his new Sheffield home, Kler used football as a means of communication. Friends told him of the Football Unit es, Racism Divides group and that led to trials with Sheffield United. ‘I wanted so badly to become a football player,’ said Heh. ‘I was rejected after two attempts but made the third and have tried to make the most of my opportunity. ‘I was playing with the Under-21s in the first half of the season and when the manager told me I could come up to Scotland to play, I jumped at the chance. I can improve by playing against men in a proper competitive environment. Dumbarton have made me feel very welcome.’