Indian-origin international football player Yan Dhanda was in the news recently after he expressed a desire to play for the Indian football team, urging the authorities to make provisions for the same. Yan Dhanda also pitched the idea of dual citizenship.
Former Liverpool FC midfielder Yan Dhanda took to social media and urged the Indian football authorities to make the provision for dual citizenship so that he can still play for international clubs, but represent the Indian football team on an international level.
The idea started with former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand tweeted that Dhanda can potentially play for the Indian football team, after which All India Football Federation (AIFF) general secretary Shaji Prabhakaran stated that Dhanda will need to apply for an Indian passport as he is currently a British citizen.
Yan Dhanda further said that he cannot relinquish his British passport since he won’t be able to play for UK clubs if he applies for Indian citizenship, due to India’s abysmal FIFA ranking. However, the ex-Liverpool player remained hopeful that some middle ground will be achieved.
Who is Indian-origin footballer Yan Dhanda?
Yan Dhanda is an Indian-origin football player who currently plays in the English league. He is a former player of the under-17 England football team and has played in several English clubs such as West Bromwich Albion, Liverpool, and Swansea City.
Dhanda is a citizen of the United Kingdom and was born in Birmingham, while his parents were from India, with their roots in Punjab. Dhanda expressed a desire to play for the Indian football team internationally, but cannot do so because of his citizenship.
Yan Dhanda has played for several clubs in the youth league as well as after he turned 18, and has a net worth of around USD 5 million, which amounts to around Rs 41 crore in Indian currency.
