Shakib is an inspiration, says Leicester City’s Hamza

Hamza Dewan Choudhury spoke in clear Bangla to Prothom Alo over the cell phone from England. “No matter how busy I am with matches, I always follow what’s going on in Bangladesh.”

Hamza is a young footballer of the English Premier League and is of Bangladeshi origin.

He plays for Leicester City. His Bangla has a strong Sylheti undertone. But he is fluent enough in Bangla as his parents speak the language at home. He was born and brought up in England, but keeps updated about Bangladesh. His family is originally from Habiganj.

Hamza is a great fan of cricketer Shakib Al Hasan. He is also aware of the ban slapped on Shakib. He has all the stats of the all-rounder in his head.

He explains his admiration for Shakib. “He is a player of very high standard. He is good in batting as bowling. He plays well in big matches and under pressure. I like his personality a lot. He is an inspiration for many. When there is a Bangladesh match, I always try to keep updated.”

Hamza knows other players of the Bangladesh team too, like Tamim Iqbal and Liton Das. However, he has never got to watch the Bangladesh team play in English.

Though he is a football player, Hamza isn’t savvy of the Bangladesh soccer scene.

Last year Hamza played for the English team in the Under-21 Euro championship. Playing in the Under-21 team means a step towards the national team.

Many Bangladesh football fans wish this young man of Bangladeshi origin played for the Bangladesh national team. Hamza does not rule out the possibility.