The Only Pakistani to Ever Play in the Premier League

Football has never been wildly popular in Pakistan. The nation is cricket crazy for the most part, field hockey is the national sport, and squash, volleyball, and polo have been historically enjoyed across the country.

It comes as little surprise then only one player of Pakistani descent has ever played top flight professional football in the Premier League, even if the sport has gained popularity in the country over recent years.

Who is Zesh Rehman?

Zeshan Rehman was born on 14th October 1983 in Birmingham, England and spent his youth career at London-based club Fulham from 1995 to 2003.

The 6ft 3in defender progressed through the ranks at Fulham before signing his first professional contract, and broke into the first team squad in 2003. He made his debut on 23rd September away at Wigan Athletic in the League Cup.

Six days later, he joined Brighton & Hove Albion on loan, and scored on his debut for the Seagulls. In total, he made 13 senior appearances for Brighton, and scored two goals.

The First and Only Pakistani in the Premier League

On 17th April 2004, having returned to Fulham in January after just over three months at Brighton, Rehman made history by replacing Bobby Petta against Liverpool at Anfield. He became not only the first Pakistani but also the first player of British Asian descent to ever feature in England’s top flight.

In June 2004, he extended his stay at Fulham to 2006. He made 30 total senior appearances for the club, scoring one goal—21 in the Premier League.

Championship side Norwich City signed Rehman on loan in January 2006 but used him sparingly, giving him only five league appearances.

Across West London to Queens Park Rangers

In the summer of 2006, Rehman signed for Queens Park Rangers, and went on to make 49 appearances for the club.

He returned to Brighton in League One for a second loan spell, making eight appearances during March and April 2007. In July 2008, he went out on loan once more, to Blackpool in the Championship for six months. However, he managed only four appearances for the club before returning to QPR.

Within the month, he was on the move again, joining Bradford City until the end of the season in League Two. In June 2009, he signed for the Bantams on a two-year deal. He scored two goals and provided two assists across 71 total appearances for the club in all competitions.

The Journeyman Years

In December 2010, having been placed on the transfer list at Bradford City, Rehman joined Muangthong United in Thailand. One year and 35 appearances later—during which he also became the first Pakistani international footballer to play in Thailand—he moved to Kitchee in the Hong Kong First Division League. Over three seasons, he made 99 total appearances for the club, and scored three goals.

Rehman joined Malaysian side Pahang FA in December 2013, and won three trophies in his first season at the club—Malaysian Super League, FA Cup, and the Malaysia Cup. He scored 13 goals in 95 total appearances during his three year spell in Kuantan before mutually terminating his contract.

Return to Familiar Haunts

In February 2017, Rehman returned to England with Gillingham FC in League One. He played in 10 matches before the end of the season, creating one assist.

Hong Kong beckoned once more in the summer, and Rehman signed for the Premier League side Southern District. It would prove to be his longest stay at any one club—he scored two goals in 100 matches for Southern from 2017 to 2022. He became player-manager at the club in May 2020, leading them to fifth at the end of his first full season in 2021—as the youngest head coach with the youngest coaching team operating on the lowest budget in the entire league.

Retirement and Career in Coaching

Rehman announced his retirement in May 2022, having played for 11 clubs in four countries across 21 years. He represented Pakistan in 25 matches from 2005 to 2019, and scored one goal against Chinese Taipei in 2013.

In June 2022, Rehman joined Portsmouth FC as an U18 coach, and became interim first team assistant manager in January 2023. Two months later, he was appointed to the First Team Development Coach position

He is the first former British Pakistani player to work as a coach in any first team set-up across all English professional football leagues.

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