Anwar Uddin

Early life

Uddin was born and brought up in Stepney, London to a Bangladeshi father and an English mother. He attended Raine's Foundation School in Bethnal Green. His father came to the United Kingdom in the 1960s. Uddin has three sisters and two brothers.

Playing career

Uddin was the first person of Bangladeshi origin to play professional football in England and the first British Asian to captain a football club in the top four divisions of English football. He began his football career at West Ham United, working his way up through their youth and reserve teams where he was captain. He was in West Ham's victorious 1999 FA Youth Cup winning squad that defeated Coventry City. Although highly regarded, as a bright talented traditional English defender, he was never able to break through into the first team and in February 2002 moved to Sheffield Wednesday on a free transfer.

His stay was brief as after the collapse of ITV Digital, Sheffield Wednesday could not keep afford to keep him due to financial difficulties. He moved to Bristol Rovers the following summer after only four months and no appearances. He was an almost ever present in the following season until the end of October, picking up a serious groin injury which he was to struggle with for the rest of the season.

After making a few appearances the following season he was loaned out to Hereford United and Telford United, and was released by Bristol Rovers at the end of the season.

During the summer of 2004, Uddin signed for Dagenham & Redbridge. He became the captain of the team. At the time, Uddin was just one of only five professional British Asians playing in the Football League and Premiership, where it is estimated that Asians only make up 0.2 per cent of players in clubs' centres of excellence and academies.

On 1 September 2009, Uddin signed on loan for Grays Athletic.

In June 2010, Uddin left Dagenham to sign for League Two club Barnet and he was appointed captain ahead of the 2010–11 season.

In 2011, following the departure of manager Martin Allen, Uddin was appointed as caretaker assistant-manager to Giuliano Grazioli at Barnet making him the first ever British-Asian to take up a coaching position in English football.

On 30 January 2012, it was announced that Uddin had had his contract terminated by mutual consent. A few days later, he signed for Conference South side Sutton United. On 28 June 2012, he signed for fellow Conference South side Eastbourne Borough. In June 2013, Uddin retired from football and left Eastbourne in order to pursue a career in football coaching.

Coaching

In September 2013, Uddin returned to his first club, West Ham United, as a part-time coach for their youth team, working with the under-8s to under-12s age group. In September 2014, he was appointed assistant manager of Maldon & Tiptree. In May 2015, he was appointed manager of Sporting Bengal United. In May 2016, Uddin left Sporting Bengal after leading the club to their record Essex Senior League points tally.

In January 2017, he was appointed manager of Ware Football Club.

International eligibility

Uddin is eligible to play for the national teams of England and Bangladesh. During May 2007, he visited a youth football camp in Dhaka, with British coach Anthony Ferguson and Canary Wharf’s head of public affairs Zakir Khan. Kazi Salahuddin, the chief of Bangladesh Football Federation welcomed him, but Uddin still has not decided yet on whether he should play for the national team. This was the second time he visited Bangladesh since 1989, when he travelled with his father to his hometown in Sylhet.

Personal life

In 2002, Uddin dated glamour model Leilani Dowding. He now lives in Kent with his wife and two sons, Kai and Jayden.

Uddin is a sessional worker for Show Racism the Red Card in the East and South-East of England. He has a full-time role with the Football Supporters' Federation as Diversity and Campaigns Manager in partnership with Kick It Out.

Honours