Dev’s Digest: Mal Benning to be honoured, Hamza Choudhury wins on Sheffield United debut, Amit Bhatia attends Liverpool match at Anfield | Football News

By Admin

September 3, 2026 9 Min Read

Welcome to Dev’s Digest, the agenda-setting Sky Sports column where Dev Trehan delivers exclusive news and reflects some of the key developments for British South Asians in Football.

Mal Benning will be recognised with the football pioneer accolade at this month’s Asian Football Awards, Sky Sports News can exclusively reveal.

Last season – on Valentine’s Day – Benning made the 500th professional appearance of his career, a feat very few British South Asians have achieved in English football.

Benning broke through as a teenager under Dean Smith at Walsall during the 2012/13 season and had a loan spell at York City before joining Mansfield Town in 2015.

‘Sir Mal’ – as he was affectionately known by the Stags faithful – went on to earn legendary status, scoring against Mansfield’s bitter rivals Chesterfield in April 2018 as he made over 250 appearances before joining Port Vale in the summer of 2021.

Ironically, Benning’s best moment in football actually came against Mansfield at the end of that season when he rounded off the scoring in a 3-0 win for Port Vale against his former club in the League Two play-off final at Wembley.

What he said next – and how he used his platform – further enhanced his reputation, cementing his place as a game-changer for British South Asians and English football.

“I came on Sky Sports News earlier in the week talking about South Asians in football, and that today was a massive step,” Benning told Sky Sports after the game.

“I don’t care that it’s me – it could have been anyone – but for the Sikh community, as well as South Asians in football, that was a massive step.”

Sky Sports co-commentator Jobi McAnuff also emphasised the importance of the occasion for diverse ethnic communities in the English game.

“He has certainly been a pioneer and someone who has been flying the flag for many, many years,” McAnuff said.

“It’s really great to see him get his day, and against his former club – it always seems to be the way – he pops up with the goal.

“He was fantastic. He’s come back into the team and he’s taken his opportunity – it’s a big, big credit to Mal Benning.”

The sixth edition of the Asian Football Awards take place in London on September 29.

‘Bangla Blade’ – Choudhury wins on Sheffield United debut

Hamza Choudhury enjoyed a winning debut for Sheffield United, helping the Blades to a thrilling 3-2 win against Bolton Wanderers on Transfer Deadline Day.

The Bangladesh international went straight into the side and played the full 90 minutes at right-back, just a day after ending his 21-year association with Leicester City by joining Sheffield United on a permanent deal.

Choudhury made 166 senior appearances for Leicester and was part of the squad that lifted the FA Cup for the first time in 2021.

He also made 34 league appearances and captained the side on several occasions when Leicester won the Sky Bet Championship title in 2023/24.

In a twist of fate, Choudhury’s last game for Leicester came in a 2-1 loss against Burton Albion, the team he made his EFL debut for during the first loan move of his career just over a decade ago.

The move to Bramall Lane reunites Choudhury with Chris Wilder, who he worked under during a loan spell at Watford during the 2022/23 season.

Choudhury made his international debut for Bangladesh in March 2025 while also playing club football under Wilder during a loan at Sheffield United.

Mahmood makes Wrexham history

Pakistan forward Mariam Mahmood has made Wrexham club history after becoming the first women’s footballer ever added to the club’s international honours board.

The 22-year-old joins club legends including Joey Jones, Dai Davies and Kieffer Moore on the honours board and is just the second British South Asian to feature after former Aston Villa, Swansea and Middlesbrough full-back Neil Taylor.

Taylor turned professional at Wrexham back in 2007 and earned 43 international caps for Wales.

Mahmood made her Pakistan debut during AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifying in Indonesia last year as one of nine British-born players representing The Shaheens.

The former West Brom attacker has scored three goals in six international appearances and last featured for Pakistan in the FIFA Series in Ivory Coast in April.

Bhatia attends Liverpool game

Amit Bhatia attended his first Liverpool game since the syndicate he is leading agreed a deal to take a 38 per cent stake in the club.

Bhatia who is the son-in-law of steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, was at Anfield with his family for Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest after accepting an in invitation from Fenway Sports Group principal owner John W Henry to attend.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin are both part of the consortium led by British Indian entrepreneur Bhatia, who will take a seat on Liverpool’s board as vice chairman once the deal is ratified.

“It’s the biggest and the greatest football club in the world. So to in any way be associated with it, it is the stuff of dreams,” Bhatia told LFC TV.

“But it also comes, we know, with great responsibilities. That responsibility has been shouldered by FSG, we believe, in the most spectacular way over the last 16 years.

“So, if we as their partners can be involved, help, elevate the club, help the club in any way – and I hope that they see some value in us, which is why they’ve welcomed us to the table – we are ready, willing, champing at the bit and can’t wait to help in any way that we are called upon to help the club.”

British South Asians in football

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