What Spence's England Milestone Means For Muslims

When Djed Spence came connected arsenic a substitute for England during Tuesday's World Cup qualifying lucifer successful Serbia, he wasn't conscionable reaping nan rewards of years of difficult activity and resilience successful nan look of setbacks - he was besides making history.

The 25-year-old Tottenham full-back became nan first Muslim to play shot for nan elder England men's team, a milestone which has drawn attraction crossed nan state and beyond.

For Spence, who regularly posts belief captions connected his societal media accounts, his religion plays an important domiciled successful his life and attack to football.

"It's a blessing - conscionable amazing. I don't person nan words really," he said during preparations for nan match.

"I believe a batch - I springiness gratitude to God. In nan toughest moments of my life, nan darkest moments, I've ever believed that God has been by my side. It's a large point for me, my faith."

So, what does Spence's accomplishment mean for nan wider Muslim organization successful nan UK?

"It's a infinitesimal of ceremony for British Muslims," says Ebadur Rahman, laminitis of Nujum Sports, an organisation which supports much than 400 Muslim athletes done religion proposal and master counselling.

"Djed has large work connected his shoulders - not only is he playing for England, he is playing for Muslims each astir nan world because he is now seen arsenic a domiciled exemplary breaking a barrier."

The visibility of Spence's religion - some successful his online output and erstwhile he prays connected nan transportation - renders him a awesome for young Muslim players to subordinate to.

"It is awesome that he is comfortable visibly professing and celebrating his faith," says Yunus Lunat, a grassroots coach and erstwhile chair of nan Football Association's title equality advisory board.

"Every azygous young Muslim subordinate I've travel into interaction pinch done coaching successful this state aspires to play for England. No different nation, not their parents' federation aliases thing for illustration that, conscionable England. That's it."

Nujum Sports estimates location are astir 250 Muslim players successful nan 4 master English leagues, and different Britain-born Muslim players person risen done nan England younker ranks successful nan past but haven't rather managed to gain a afloat headdress by reaching nan elite level.

Among nan astir salient are erstwhile Fulham, QPR and Bradford City defender Zesh Rehman, who represented England up to under-20 level earlier playing for Pakistan, while Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury made 7 appearances for nan U21s earlier opting to correspond Bangladesh earlier this year.

But considering Muslims dress up 6% of nan full UK population, practice successful shot is low, particularly successful comparison pinch different sports specified arsenic cricket.

"We conscionable haven't had nan Muslim players coming through," Lunat adds. "Muslims haven't had capable opportunities aliases capable domiciled models for young, aspiring players to travel connected from.

"There person been immoderate issues pinch scouts not being successful nan correct places successful nan state to spot talented young Muslim players, truthful they're not picked up. Some scouts conscionable spell to nan aforesaid location clubs that person historically generated players.

"It's not peculiarly bully that it's taken until 2025 for a Muslim to play for England."

Yorkshireman Nathan Ellington converted to Islam later successful life, during a profession successful which he scored much than 100 goals.

"When you first go Muslim, you effort to navigate immoderate of nan things that are new," Ellington explains. "You extremity doing definite things and slow change. What happens is sometimes group successful shot clubs don't cognize overmuch astir nan belief and they conscionable look astatine it negatively.

"But past possibly they commencement to study and realise 'oh, it's not that different, he conscionable needs this adjustment, this food, clip to pray'.

Those adjustments require coaching unit and team-mates to prosecute successful bully faith, and for resources to beryllium connected manus to thief arsenic overmuch arsenic possible.

Spence has thrived successful nan early days of Thomas Frank's Tottenham reign.

"We spent clip pinch Thomas Frank, nan sports scientists, nutritionists and doctors astatine [his erstwhile club] Brentford to talk astir Islam, and spell done really nan nine could champion support their Muslim players," says Riz Rehman, Zesh's brother, who useful arsenic a subordinate inclusion executive for nan Professional Footballers' Association.

"It's not easy erstwhile players are fasting during Ramadan and playing astatine nan aforesaid time, but pinch due support it tin beryllium done.

"We besides speak to clubs astir ensuring players person a abstraction to pray, really to see their families and understand their religion arsenic overmuch arsenic possible.

"It's each astir education."

The chance to alteration perceptions is 1 of nan reasons Ellington believes Spence's inclusion successful nan England squad will person wider affirmative consequences.

"Sometimes group dainty you arsenic though you don't conform to nan 'normal' measurement of being a footballer - you tin beryllium seen arsenic an outsider," he says.

"It's awesome to cognize that it doesn't matter what your inheritance is, aliases what civilization you travel from - they person chosen him for nan very apical level because of what he is doing connected nan pitch.

"A batch of Muslims will beryllium proud of him - I am."

Spence's England debut has travel astatine a clip erstwhile Islamophobia, favoritism and protests against refugees and migrants are connected nan emergence successful nan UK.

Earlier this twelvemonth a study from Tell Mama, which tracks Islamophobia, recovered anti-Muslim dislike has reached an all-time high, pinch incidents much than doubling compared pinch 2023.

The organisation said location had been a "surge successful rhetoric that falsely portrays Muslims arsenic terrorists aliases violent sympathisers" pursuing nan Israel-Gaza conflict and nan spreading of misinformation aft nan Southport murders. The UK authorities called nan findings "extremely concerning".

A 2022 study by nan University of Birmingham besides recovered 26% of group successful nan UK consciousness negatively towards Muslims.

"The past fewer years successful peculiar person been profoundly difficult for Muslim athletes astir nan world," Rahman says. "So erstwhile we get this benignant of win, it's important that we each observe it, because we don't cognize erstwhile nan adjacent affirmative point mightiness come.

"Some group mightiness opportunity 'keep belief aliases authorities retired of football' but it's each intertwined. Players should beryllium celebrated for who they are, whether it's Muslim faith, Christian religion aliases immoderate other."

There are astir 4 cardinal Muslims surviving successful nan UK, but information successful shot has been debased historically, and nan thought of a Muslim subordinate reaching nan elder nationalist squad squad seemed unrealistic to many.

"Growing up successful East London successful nan early 1990s wasn't nan easiest time," Rahman explains. "Never, ever successful my life did I deliberation we would person a British-born Muslim footballer playing for nan England nationalist team.

"It is very important that young men and women successful athletics are encouraged to beryllium themselves. It costs america thing to support a subordinate for who they are, and it opens nan gates for others successful nan future.

"It's not conscionable Muslims - location are going to beryllium kids of different heritages who are inspired by Djed."