Summary: Joining the show from Hong Kong is former Fulham, QPR and Bradford City defender Zesh Rehman to explore his very important career milestones, the struggles it took to reach the Premier League and why the move to play in Asia is yet one more experience that his rewarded a quite improbable career. That is because he is the first British Asian player to play at every level of English football including the League Cup and FA Cup before moving to Muangthong United and Kitchee in the AFC over the last couple of years, the second club delivering the football experience of a lifetime by winning the treble. We explore the level of discrimination that surrounded him as a boy chasing the dream to play as a professional, what it took to overcome those obstacles and consider whether recent reports this past summer by the BBC illustrate just how ingrained the racism and discrimination is in the game for boys who have isolated themselves in Asian only clubs and teams. Zesh has serious opinions about these topics and it is not very long before we discuss the magical run for Brodford City who takes on Swansea City for the League Cup Final and what it means for a local community that has come together to support the club and realize a dream of its own. Zesh was a captain for Bradford City, gives a look at what this football success means and points out a number of people behind the scenes who helped set the stage for this fairy tale story. Also discussed is the emergence of the Asian game, what his future holds and why his impact beyond his playing days could hold both in terms of coaching and his continued work with the foundation that carries his name. Zesh is a Pakistani international, an ambassador for Kick It Out, the Asian Football Network and Show Racism The Red Card campaigns and was the recipient of a PFA Community Award in 2012, a player who not only speaks of reaching out to the community, but does it repeatedly through action and great deeds beyond football itself.
