Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury has officially received clearance from FIFA to represent Bangladesh in international football. The 26-year-old becomes the first player from the English Premier League to don the red and green jersey. The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) confirmed the news in a statement on Thursday, expressing their excitement about Hamza’s inclusion. Austrian soccer player sustains fractured skull in attack by unidentified assailant The FIFA Players' Status Committee approved the request, clearing the final hurdle after England’s Football Association issued a no-objection certificate earlier this year.  “This is a proud moment for Bangladesh football,” BFF’s General Secretary Imran Hossain said. “Hamza Choudhury’s inclusion will inspire a new generation and open doors for future international success.” Hamza, born in England to a Bangladeshi mother, applied for Bangladeshi citizenship in June and received his passport in August.

Watford’s defensive midfielder, Hamza Dewan Choudhury, will be "proud" and "honoured" to represent Bangladesh if he gets the opportunity. While giving a brief interview with Anwar Uddin, the first footballer of Bangladeshi origin to play professional football in England, Hamza expressed his desire to represent the Bangladesh football team. Who is Hamza Choudhury? Let's take a look at his professional football career statistics. Is Hamza Choudhury eligible to play for Bangladesh? Hamza Dewan Choudhury was born on October 1st, 1997 in Loughborough, England. His mother and stepfather are both from Bangladesh. Therefore, Hamza Choudhury can represent Bangladesh if he wants to. Hamza’s ancestral home town is Bahubal, in Habiganj District in Bangladesh. Due to his upbringing in a typical Bengali-Muslim family, he speaks Bengali rather fluently. Hamza’s biological father is from Grenada; therefore, he can also represent the Grenada national football team. Hamza Choudhury talked about his journey as a footballer and other related issues while giving an interview to Anwar Uddin MBE. When Anwar asked Hamza whether he would consider playing for Bangladesh, Hamza replied, "Yeah, I think so. I definitely think so."  Reports Sky sports. The midfielder feels a strong connection with his roots and playing for Bangladesh is something he will definitely consider in the future. Read Manchester City vs Borussia Dortmund 2022: Match preview, probable lineups, prediction "I want to see how well I do in the next couple of years, but I'd be more than proud, more than honoured to go and play for Bangladesh, and almost have more of a reach, going back there more regularly." Hamza Choudhury said. Hamza's popularity back home is one factor in his desire to represent Bangladesh. He also wants to keep in touch with his roots in Bangladesh because of this. A Quick Look at Hamza Choudhury's Football Career Hamza showed his footballing ability at a very early age and was called up to England’s U21 side in 2018. He played 7 matches for the ‘Three Lions’ aged level team from 2018 to 2019. Choudhury began his youth career at the age of 14 at the Leicester City football academy. He played for four years (2011-2015) for the club’s youth level teams before making his full professional debut for Leicester City’s senior side in 2015. Read SAFF Women's Champs: Bangladesh earns first-ever win against India Hamza was loaned out to Burton Albion for the 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 seasons. He helped Burton Albion to promotion from League One to the EFL Championship at the end of the 2016 season. After two successful campaigns with Burton Albion, Hamza Choudhury came back to Leicester City in 2017 and played five consecutive Premier League seasons with the club. In the 2019–202 season, Hamza made 20 league appearances for Leicester City, which is the highest for him in a single season. In the summer transfer window of 2022, Hamza was loaned to EFL Championship side Watford. He has been a regular for Watford in the 2022-2023 season and is a key member of their squad. Overall, Hamza Choudhury has scored 2 goals in 120 professional appearances. Besides, he has won the FA Cup (2020–2021) and FA Community Shield (2021) with Leicester City. He has an international trophy (Toulon Tournament: 2018) with the England U21 side as well. Read: Bangladesh Football team make first practices in Malaysia Saturday Bottom Line Footballer Hamza Choudhury excels in the defensive midfield position. His inclusion in the Bangladesh football team lineup will be a significant improvement in terms of quality. Hamza can instruct and motivate the players by sharing his knowledge and experience. Will Hamza Choudhury ever play for Bangladesh? Only time will tell. However, every Tigers’ fan should appreciate his willingness to represent Bangladesh.