Desk Report,
Who is the first Muslim footballer in the England national team? Didier Spence
‘I first got the news through a message. I was told not to tell anyone. Then a huge smile of joy spread across my face. I told my family to keep an eye on the team announcement. It was truly a unique, memorable moment of my life’ — this is how Dide Spence described his experience of being called up to the England national football team for the first time.
Who is the first Muslim footballer in the England national team? Didier Spence
England will play against Andorra next Saturday and Serbia on Wednesday. Coach Thomas Tuchel has called Spence up for two FIFA World Cup qualifiers. If he takes the field in one of the two matches, Spence will become the first Muslim player in the England national football team. Tuchel has never spoken to this fullback from the English Premier League club Tottenham before. So he is both surprised and honored to be suddenly called up to the national team.
Spence learned from the British media that he is the first Muslim footballer to be called up to the England national team. He told the FA (English Football Association) website about this, ‘I saw the news. It’s a blessing to me, an extraordinary thing. I was surprised at first. I didn’t know what to say.’ Asked whether he feels pressure as the first Muslim footballer, he said, ‘Maybe, maybe not. Actually, I don’t take that much pressure. I just play football with a smile, try to be happy, the rest happens automatically.’ An important part of Spence’s life is religious faith, which he often highlights on social media. Regarding religion, he said again, ‘The first thing is that God is the greatest. I pray a lot, express gratitude to God. Even in the most difficult and dark times of life, I believed that God is by my side. And when I succeed, happy moments come, I still remember him. Faith in him is my greatest strength.’
Deed Spence was born on August 9, 2000 in London. His father is Jamaican, his mother is Kenyan. His father’s name is Simon Spence, his mother’s name is Aisha. He adopted his mother’s religion. His elder sister Carla-Simone Spence is a well-known actress in Britain. Carla-Symoné, however, has never identified her mother as Kenyan. On social media, she has described her parents as British-Jamaican.
