
Hamza Choudhury
footballer
Date of Birth | : | 01 October, 1997 (Age 27) |
Place of Birth | : | Loughborough, United Kingdom |
Profession | : | Professional Footballer, Football Player |
Nationality | : | Bangladeshi |
Social Profiles | : |
Twitter
Instagram
|
Hamza Dewan Choudhury (হামজা চৌধুরী) (born 1 October 1997) is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or right-back for Premier League club Leicester City.
Choudhury is a product of Leicester City Academy, he joined the club at the age of seven. After gaining professional experience with two loan spells at Burton Albion, he has made over 100 senior appearances for Leicester since 2017. With Leicester, Choudhury won the FA Cup in 2021.
Choudhury has represented England at under-21 level. Since 19 December 2024, Choudhury is eligible to represent the Bangladesh national football team.
Early life
Choudhury was born in Loughborough, Leicestershire.
Club career
Leicester City
Choudhury began his career at the Leicester City Academy, joining the club at the age of 7 in 2005.[3] At the age of 16, Choudhury was reportedly monitored by a number of top European clubs
Loan to Burton Albion
Choudhury joined League One leaders Burton Albion on a one-month loan deal on 27 February 2016. He made his debut in the Football League later that same day, coming on as a 77th-minute substitute for Tom Naylor in a 0–0 draw with Walsall at the Pirelli Stadium.On 6 August 2016, Choudhury signed another loan deal with Burton Albion for the 2016–17 season. On the same day, Choudhury featured in Burton Albion's first ever Championship game, claiming an assist in a 4–3 defeat against Nottingham Forest.
First-team breakthrough
Choudhury playing for Leicester City in 2019
Choudhury made his first-team debut for Leicester City on 19 September 2017, coming on as substitute in a 2–0 win against Liverpool at home in the third round of the EFL Cup. He made his Premier League debut on 28 November as a substitute at home in a 2–1 win against Tottenham Hotspur. His first Premier League start came on 14 April 2018, in a 2–1 away defeat to Burnley.
Choudhury with Leicester City during the 2021–22 UEFA Europa League
On 30 August 2019, Choudhury signed a new four-year contract with Leicester. On 1 January 2020, Choudhury scored his first senior goal for Leicester, an outside the box strike in the 86th minute, in a 3–0 away win at Newcastle United.
On 22 October 2020, Choudhury made his first appearance in a European competition, coming off the bench in the 71st minute against Zorya Luhansk. He became the first footballer of Bangladeshi descent to make an appearance in a European competition by doing so. One week later, Choudhury scored a 39th-minute volley against AEK Athens, winning the match 2–1. He became the first footballer of Bangladeshi descent to score in one of the two major UEFA club competitions, the first British Asian to score in European competitions since Michael Chopra in the defunct UEFA Intertoto Cup, and the first British Asian to score in the current UEFA competitions.
On 11 April 2021, Choudhury was one of three players dropped from Leicester's squad for the game against West Ham United after breaching COVID-19 protocols. On 15 May 2021, he came on as an 82nd-minute substitute in the 2021 FA Cup Final, which Leicester won 1–0 for his first career honour.
Loan to Watford
On 10 August 2022, Choudhury joined Championship club Watford on loan for the season, with the option to make the move permanent the following summer. He made his debut two days later in a 1–0 home win over Burnley, and was praised by manager Rob Edwards.
International career
On 26 May 2018, Choudhury made his debut for the England national under-21 football team, coming on as a substitute during the 2–1 win against China under-21 in the 2018 Toulon Tournament. Choudhury started for England in the next match of the tournament, a 0–0 draw against Mexico.
On 27 May 2019, Choudhury was included in England's 23-man squad for the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship but was shown a straight red card for a reckless tackle during the second half of the opening 2–1 defeat to France in Cesena.
While eligible to represent Bangladesh and Grenada, Choudhury expressed in October 2019 that his goal was to play for England, saying, "To play for England is my biggest dream, to represent the senior team. However, on 27 February 2024, reports confirmed he was in talks to join the Bangladesh national football team for their 2026 World Cup qualifiers in March 2024.
Chowdhury obtained his Bangladeshi passport on 23 August 2024, and on 24 September 2024, the English Football Association issued him a No Objection Certificate (NOC), allowing him to officially represent Bangladesh. He officially switched allegiance to Bangladesh on 19 December 2024.
Personal life
Choudhury is of Bangladeshi and Grenadian ancestry. He was raised in a traditional Bangladeshi Muslim household by his mother and stepfather and has visited Bangladesh since he was a child. His maternal ancestral home is in Bahubal, Habiganj District in Bangladesh. His stepfat The persistence of the Bangladeshi football fans who have besieged Hamza Choudhury’s social media channels for years ever since he made his Leicester City debut seven years ago has finally paid off.
The midfielder, born in Loughborough to a Bangladeshi mother, has been capped seven times by England at under-21 level. But he has listened, switched his allegiance and pledged to play for Bangladesh.
Quotes
Total 0 Quotes
Quotes not found.