FORMER England Under-21 star Hamza Choudhury shared an incredible video of his heroic welcome ahead of his Bangladesh debut.
The Leicester midfielder, on loan at Sheffield United, was born in Loughborough and joined the Foxes aged seven in 2005.
https://www.instagram.com/hamzachoudhury/Hamza Choudhury received a hero’s welcome in Bangladesh[/caption]
https://www.instagram.com/hamzachoudhury/The footballer switched allegiance to represent the Asian country[/caption]
https://www.instagram.com/hamzachoudhury/He visited the nation of his mother throughout his childhood[/caption]
https://www.instagram.com/hamzachoudhury/Fans produced banners and chanted wildly for their new star[/caption]
GettyChoudhury played for England U21s but did not make a senior Three Lions appearance[/caption]
His no-nonsense game and tough tackling earned him a spot in the Young Lions set-up.
He made seven U21 caps between 2018 and 2019 and was even linked with a transfer to Barcelona.
However, after struggling to kick on and break into the England senior team, Choudhury opted to switch allegiance to the country of his mother.
Choudhury – who can speak Bengali – was raised by his mother and stepfather in a traditional Bangladeshi Muslim home and regularly visited the nation throughout his childhood.
He obtained a Bangladeshi passport in August 2024 and Fifa ratified the official change in December.
The 2021 FA Cup winner received his first call-up to make his debut for the national team ahead of Tuesday’s AFC Asian Cup qualifier against India.
And he received a superb reaction when he touched down in Bangladesh and was presented to fans.
In a beautiful video posted on Instagram, Choudhury shared a series of photos from his childhood – including with his family and seemingly visits to Bangladesh.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
He then added various clips of his welcome this week with photographers clamouring to get snaps of his arrival, banners, fans waving and blowing whistles in vehicles along the road and thousands of supporters lining the streets.
Choudhury, Enzo Maresca’s part-time captain in Leicester’s Championship-winning season last year, took in the adulation of his adoring compatriots as he was covered in orange confetti before being presented on stage.
The huge crowd desperately wanted to capture the moment on their phones and some even set flares off.
Choudhury put the song To Build A Home over the video and captioned it on social media: “An amazing welcome coming home.. next stop Dhaka,” the capital city of Bangladesh.
Fans swarmed the comments section with messages of support.
One said: “Well done Hamza. Inspirational.”
Another wrote: “Unbelievable scenes.”
A third added: “Dear Hamza, you’ve made us dream again. I hope you’ll bring the joy and success we’ve been longing for. Be the torch bearer of our football. Be the leader we always wanted to have. And lead us to the ultimate glory! Bangladesh loves you.”
And a final user simply replied: “Wow.”
‘JOY AND PRIDE’
Choudhury – who is married to Olivia with whom he has three children – previously opened up on his Asian heritage, switching allegiance and what it meant to be the first player to represent Bangladesh in the Premier League.
He told Versus: “Bangladesh taught me a lot as a kid, some things I can hopefully pass on to my own children. It’s just about gratitude and treating everyone the same.
“England is definitely my home but so is Bangladesh. So, to be able to go back to my country of origin and represent the people I grew up with, it means everything to me – it fills me with so much joy and pride.
“Up until I was 16 I went every year with my family, sometimes even twice a year. I do have a lot of childhood memories from all of those years visiting family in Bangladesh.
“As I’ve grown, I’m trying to understand the responsibilities that come with being the first Bangladeshi to play in the Premier League.
“Representing not just a minority of people, but a whole country. For me, I’m just proud.”
ReutersThe tough-tackling Leicester midfielder is on loan at Sheffield United[/caption]
Bangladesh Football FederationChoudhury was paraded through the streets[/caption]
https://www.instagram.com/hamzachoudhury/Thousands turned out to catch a glimpse of him[/caption]
https://www.instagram.com/hamzachoudhury/Some even drove alongside him to see the footballer[/caption]
https://www.instagram.com/hamzachoudhury/Choudhury waved to the thousands who lined the streets[/caption]
https://www.instagram.com/hamzachoudhury/Flares were set off as Choudhury was presented to the crowd[/caption]
https://www.instagram.com/hamzachoudhury/Fans of all ages wanted to capture the moment[/caption]
https://www.instagram.com/hamzachoudhury/Choudhury was born in Loughborough[/caption]
https://www.instagram.com/hamzachoudhury/His mother is Bangladeshi[/caption]
https://www.instagram.com/hamzachoudhury/He was raised in a Muslim household and speaks Bengali[/caption]
https://www.instagram.com/hamzachoudhury/The dad-of-three cited his love and connection to Bangladesh, where he has family[/caption]
https://www.instagram.com/hamzachoudhury/Choudhury looks set to make his Bangladesh debut against India next week[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
