Manchester United signs U21 contract with British-Pakistani footballer Zaiba Ishaque

• Zaiba Ishaque made history by signing a contract with Manchester United.
• She’s the first British-Pakistani female footballer to rise.
• Zaiba also remains eligible to represent Pakistan due to her heritage.

Zaiba Ishaque, a British-Pakistani footballer, has signed a U21 contract with the Manchester United women’s team. At just 17 years old, she made history by becoming the first British-Pakistani female footballer to progress through the youth ranks of an English Women’s Super League club.

Zaiba Ishaque is part of a growing number of British South Asians making their mark in English women’s football. Some other emerging British Pakistani female footballers include Mariam Mahmood at West Bromwich Albion, Layla Banaras at Birmingham City, as well as Pakistani internationals Nadia Khan (Doncaster Rovers Belles), Zahmena Malik (London Seaward), and Amina Hanif (London Bees).

Zaiba’s football journey began when one of her schoolteachers, who also coached at Burnley FC’s academy, noticed her talent and encouraged her to join the club’s youth setup. She later spent time at Liverpool FC’s academy but had to overcome a knee injury that sidelined her for nearly a year. After recovering, she spent three years at Manchester City before moving to Manchester United’s youth ranks in July 2022.

Zaiba primarily plays as a fullback and has been making progress in Manchester United’s women’s youth teams. She also participated in the Professional Footballers Association’s (PFA) Asian Inclusion Mentoring (AIMS) program, aimed at bringing together individuals of South Asian origin involved in various roles in English football.

Despite her eligibility to play for the England women’s team, Zaiba Ishaque has not received a call-up to the Lionesses at any age group level. She also remains eligible to represent Pakistan due to her heritage, and there have been initial discussions with the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) regarding her potential involvement with the Pakistani national team, although no concrete developments have emerged on this front.

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