Zesh Rehman's Playing (and Managing) Ambitions...Lee Cook Looks Forward to Birmingham

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PFA's Give Me Football/Dave Smith - Zesh is a perfect role model
Captain of Pakistan, Rehman hopes to manage his country one day.

Zesh is hoping to stabilise his career at Blackpool. (©PAphotos) Zesh RehmanBlackpool; it s a good club with an ambitious young manager 'My sole purpose in trying to be a success as a professional footballer is to inspire other Asian players to follow my lead and achieve their goals'.

The words of Zesh Rehman say so much about a dedicated young man who has had to work harder than most wannabee professionals to make a name for himself in the English game.

As the first Pakistani to make it to pro-level in this country, Zesh realised from a young age that he was going to be classed as a role model for other Asian hopefuls who might be put off by hindrances and prejudices.

It was a role he was happy to take on board, and he recalls a defining moment in his development. "I remember being told once that Asian footballers wouldn't make it to the top level because...
* we were scared of the weather;
* that our diet was bad;
* that we weren't strong enough to compete.
"I was determined to prove them wrong!"

And, having represented Fulham, QPR, Brighton, Norwich and now Blackpool with distinction, he has gone a long way towards disproving that particular, blinkered theory - a very long way.

All the way, in fact, from his hometown of Birmingham, to London and now to the North West of England in his quest to set an example for others to follow.

Inspired by his family and in particular elder brother Rizwan, who sadly had to quit the game at an early age through injury having impressed at Brentford, Zesh put his heart and soul into taking the next big step.

"I worked hard to, firstly, get into the school team, then the district and county teams and each year I had to work even harder to keep up with the other kids," he recalls. "But, with the support of my family and others around me, I was determined to make it."

And, after moving from Birmingham to London with his family, he did make the all-important breakthrough when he was spotted by a Fulham scout and taken on at the club's academy.

He went on to make exactly 30 first team appearances for Fulham, representing England Under 17s and Under 20s along the way, and he remains grateful to former Cottagers' boss Chris Coleman and coach Steve Keen for giving him the opportunity...

Not just to play pro-football at the top level, but to send out a message to other Asian players that dreams can come true. "I was getting a lot of publicity in the media at the time for being the first Asian to make the grade but I didn't see that as a pressure; more a privilege because even at that young age I recognised that I was making a significant impact. I just wanted to inspire others to do the same."

Loan spells at Brighton and Norwich followed before Zesh moved to QPR where he accumulated another 50-odd first team appearances, despite his progress being hampered by the fact that Rangers had five different managers during his two years at Loftus Road.

After completing his move from Fulham to Rangers, he was quoted as saying: "All I want to do is play; the money doesn't interest me anymore. I could have sat at Fulham and just been happy to pick up my wages but that's not what I am all about."

Such a comment is typical of a well-rounded professional who is understandably proud to have represented Pakistan at international level on half a dozen occasions. As captain of his country, there will be more caps to follow, that's for sure, and his long-term ambitions are to qualify for the World Cup finals - and to manage the national team one day.

For now though, Zesh admits he is seeking some 'stability' in a career which has become 'dis-jointed' by loan moves and not having the continuity of working with one manager for a longer period of time (he's played under 12 so far.) He hopes to find that stability in Blackpool where the only rollercoaster rides he is interested in are those at the famous Pleasure Beach.

"I'm quite glad to get away from all the hustle and bustle of London," Zesh admits. "I really like it up here in Blackpool; it s a good club with an ambitious young manager. Hopefully, over the next few months I can convince Simon Grayson I'm worthy of a long-term contract."

After achieving so many goals already in his career, there's no reason why this latest one shouldn't produce the same positive result.

* Zesh has recently set up a website with a view to giving advice to, and receiving feedback from, young Asians considering a career in the game. Find out more by visiting - www.zeshrehman.com - PFA


QPR Official Site - Lee Cook COOK: DON'T WRITE US OFF YET
Lee Cook insists Rangers are heading to St Andrews this weekend aiming to lay down a marker to the rest of the division.
After two below-par performances at Loftus Road, the R's travel to the Midlands for a Saturday lunchtime kick-off against Alex McLeish's in-form Blues.
And Cook, who scored a wonder-goal for the R's at St Andrews two seasons ago, is adamant Rangers can build on their last trip to the Midlands, when Damion Stewart's header clinched victory over Aston Villa in the Carling Cup.
Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk, Cook said: "No-one expects us to go there and get a result, but people were writing us off prior to Villa and probably again at Norwich when we were down to ten men for over an hour - but we got results there, so let's just wait and see.
"They're obviously going to enjoy long spells of possession at times, but if we play to our full potential, we're capable of pushing them all the way."
Cook is relishing the opportunity of playing in front of a boisterous home crowd, as well as the small matter of a TV audience of millions on Sky Sports.
"I love playing at big grounds like St Andrews," he said.
"As a professional footballer, you relish playing in front of big crowds and that will certainly be the case this weekend.
"The fact it's on Sky Sports adds an extra bit of spice to the occasion and the fact we're two of the favourites to go up makes it even more exciting."
Cook added: "They've got a great squad, with devastating attacking options - there front-line alone are worth in excess of £10 million.
"But we've done okay on the road and Fitz (Hall) and Damion (Stewart) in particular are playing really well at the heart of our back four.
"Of course we'll have to weather the storm at times, but to a man, we believe we can get a positive result there."
QPR