Brandon Khela has enjoyed a whirlwind rise in the 12 months since his historic debut for Birmingham City as an 18-year-old.
The Punjabi teenager became the first British South Asian ever to represent the men’s first team at senior level when he was thrown on as a substitute by former manager John Eustace in last season’s 2-0 EFL Cup first-round win against Cheltenham Town.
It was a debut that the midfielder had to wait patiently for, coming 18 months after he first earned a place on Birmingham City’s bench for an away league trip to Stoke City under then-boss Lee Bowyer.
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Blues are on their third manager since Eustace gave Khela his debut, with Chris Davies arriving at Blues in June, after Sky Sports News exclusively revealed he was the frontrunner for the vacancy at St Andrew’s.
Davies, who has a track record for nurturing talent having worked under Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers and Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou in recent years, says he has liked what he has seen so far from Khela.
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David Prutton, Don Goodman and Jobi McAnuff discuss whether Birmingham City are favorites to gain automatic promotion from League One this season
“Very good,” Davies said to Sky Sports News, when asked about the impression Khela has made on him in pre-season.
“He had a loan up in Scotland last season and he has impressed me in pre-season, because he is a good size, he is physical, and he is technical enough.
“He is a midfielder, but I’ve played him at right-back [on occasions during pre-season]. That is not his actual position, but he is tactically good, so he understands what he needs to do.
“He is a really good prospect. Maybe at some point he will take a loan to develop even further, but I have been very impressed with him – and I think he has got a bright future.”
Dhanda: Khela is hard-working and humble
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Ross County duo Yan Dhanda and Brandon Khela discuss making SPFL history together and breaking down barriers as South Asians in The Game
Khela joined Ross County for the second half of last season, taking the No 19 shirt in Dingwall, with the move being completed a day before his 19th birthday.
The loan saw Khela link-up with Yan Dhanda and then make history away at Celtic Park when the pair lined up against Celtic, with two British South Asians starting a match together for the first time in SPFL history.
“It was great to have someone of the same ethnicity playing with me, because I don’t think it has happened before,” Dhanda, who has since joined Hearts, told Sky Sports News.
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Brandon Khela signed off from his loan move at Ross County with his first senior professional football goal as they secured Scottish Premiership football for another season
“I just think he is an amazing player. He’s at Birmingham now, he’s still only young and I just hope he gets chances because he’s very good, very talented, he works very hard, and he’s humble.
“Brandon just needs the manager to throw him in, and he just needs the game-time to show what he can do. Up at Ross County, in training every day, he showed how good he is and I can’t wait to see him kick on.”
Khela is a popular figure across Birmingham City’s fanbase, and particularly among Blues supporters from South Asian backgrounds.
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Punjabi teenager Brandon Khela made history with Birmingham City, becoming the first British South Asian ever to play in the Football League for the club
Speaking to Sky Sports News last year, fellow Sikh-Punjabi Micky Singh said: “I’ve supported Blues for over 60 years and have waited a very long time to see a Punjabi kid come up through the ranks here at Birmingham City Football Club
“From a representation perspective, watching him perform on the pitch will give hope to many aspiring youngsters that want to follow the path into professional football.”
‘More that unites us than divides us’
Blues fans and local residents demonstrated their commitment to social cohesion earlier this week following the recent scenes of civil and racial unrest which have dogged most parts of the country, including the West Midlands.
Birmingham FC’s Official Supporters Club (OSC) united to show their appreciation for the owners’ multi-million pound investment in the football club, and to give back to the community in the vicinity of St Andrew’s by doing a tidy-up and litter-pick around the surrounds of the stadium and the local area.
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Panjabi Blues founder and chair Sukh Singhspoke exclusively to Sky Sports news following Tom Brady’s investment in Birmingham City
Dozens of OSC members were joined on the clean-up by supporters, community leaders, and representatives from local places of worship.
Chair of the OSC, Sukh Singh, told Sky Sports News: “We all support our club, our country and our city. There is more that unites us than divides us as Blues fans – and we take pride in our team, our stadium and our neighbourhood
“Everyone showed true British values. We’re ready to face any adversity head on. It was a massive success and I’m proud to call myself a Brummie.”
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British South Asians in Football
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