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's come back into the team and he's taken his opportunity - it's a big, big credit to Mal Benning." Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player The sixth edition of the Asian Football Awards take place in London on September 29. 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.
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