South Asians in Football: John Still hails Anwar Uddin who is shortlisted for award after headlining Brentford and Fulham event

Former Dagenham and Redbridge boss Johns Still opens up about why he signed trailblazer Anwar Uddin and why he made the former defender his captain; Uddin and Singh Gill vie for Asian Achievers award; Premeir League clubs Brentford and Fulham unite for British South Asians in Football

By Dev Trehan and Shemi Adenekan

Wednesday 30 August 2023 22:22, UK

West Ham academy graduate Anwar Uddin “led by example”, says the man who signed him for both Bristol Rovers and Dagenham and Redbridge.

Uddin made his English professional debut at Bristol Rovers where he had signed from Sheffield Wednesday, following a recommendation from then-assistant manager John Still.

Uddin is a former FA Youth Cup winner with West Ham and is the first British-Bangladeshi league player in English football history.

He spent two seasons at Rovers before being snapped up by Still, who had taken the manager's job at Dagenham Redbridge. Still would go on to make Uddin the captain of his Daggers side.

«When I went to Dagenham, he was the first player I wanted to sign. He was a leader,» Still told Sky Sports News.

«He was someone who would get up them and would be like, 'get behind me, come on we're all together'. He had that in him. You can't teach that, it's uncoachable.

»He was loud [in the dressing room], and sometimes you'd go in there and he would have already sorted it out [if there was a problem]. He'd already had words!

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