'I didn't know I was the first' - Muslim Spence makes history with England

When Djed Spence came on as a substitute for England during Tuesday's World Cup qualifier in Serbia, he was not just reaping the rewards of years of hard work and resilience in the face of setbacks - he was also making history.

The 25-year-old Tottenham Hotspur full-back became the first Muslim to play for the senior England men's football team, a milestone which has drawn attention nationwide and beyond.

"I was surprised because I didn't know I was the first, so it's a blessing," he said after England's 5-0 win.

"It's good to make history and hopefully inspire young kids around the world that they can make it as well. They can do what I am doing."

For Spence, who regularly posts religious captions on his social media accounts, his faith plays an important role in his life and approach to the game.

"Whatever religion you believe in, just believe in God," Spence said.

"God is the greatest for me personally and he never lets you down. Days like today are special because of God, for me.

"I was a little bit emotional because the journey hasn't been easy. But I am officially an England player now and I am over the moon."

So, what does Spence's achievement mean for the wider Muslim community in the UK?

"It's a moment of celebration for British Muslims," says Ebadur Rahman, founder of Nujum Sports, an organisation which supports more than 400 Muslim athletes through faith advice and professional counselling.

"Djed has big responsibility on his shoulders - not only is he playing for England, he is playing for Muslims all around the world because he is now seen as a role model breaking a barrier."

The visibility of Spence's faith - both in his online output and when he prays on the pitch - renders him an example for young Muslim players to relate to.

"It is great that he is comfortable visibly professing and celebrating his faith," says Yunus Lunat, a grassroots coach and former chair of the Football Association's race equality advisory board.

"Every single young Muslim player I've come into contact with through coaching in this country aspires to play for England. No other nation, not their parents' nation or anything like that, just England. That's it."

Nujum Sports estimates there are about 250 Muslim players in the four professional English leagues, and other Britain-born Muslim players have risen through the England youth ranks in the past but haven't quite managed to earn a full cap by reaching the elite level.

Among the most prominent are former Fulham, QPR and Bradford City defender Zesh Rehman, who represented England up to under-20 level before playing for Pakistan, while Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury made seven appearances for the U21s before opting to represent Bangladesh earlier this year.

But considering Muslims make up 6% of the total UK population, representation in football is low, especially in comparison with other sports such as cricket.

"We just haven't had the Muslim players coming through," Lunat adds. "Muslims haven't had enough opportunities or enough role models for young, aspiring players to follow on from.

"There have been some issues with scouts not being in the right places in the country to spot talented young Muslim players, so they're not picked up. Some scouts just go to the same regional clubs that have historically generated players.

"It's not particularly good that it's taken until 2025 for a Muslim to play for England."

Yorkshireman Nathan Ellington converted to Islam later in life, during a career in which he scored more than 100 goals.

"When you first become Muslim, you try to navigate some of the things that are new," Ellington explains. "You stop doing certain things and slowly change. What happens is sometimes people in football clubs don't know much about the religion and they just look at it negatively.

"But then maybe they start to learn and realise 'oh, it's not that different, he just needs this adjustment, this food, time to pray'.

Those adjustments require coaching staff and team-mates to engage in good faith, and for resources to be on hand to help as much as possible.

Spence has thrived in the early days of Thomas Frank's Tottenham reign.

"We spent time with Thomas Frank, the sports scientists, nutritionists and doctors at [his previous club] Brentford to talk about Islam, and go through how the club could best support their Muslim players," says Riz Rehman, Zesh's brother, who works as a player inclusion executive for the Professional Footballers' Association.

"It's not easy when players are fasting during Ramadan and playing at the same time, but with proper support it can be done.

"We also speak to clubs about ensuring players have a space to pray, how to include their families and understand their faith as much as possible.

"It's all about education."

The chance to change perceptions is one of the reasons Ellington believes Spence's inclusion in the England squad will have wider positive consequences.

"Sometimes people treat you as though you don't conform to the 'normal' way of being a footballer - you can be seen as an outsider," he says.

"It's great to know that it doesn't matter what your background is, or what culture you come from - they have chosen him for the very top level because of what he is doing on the pitch.

"A lot of Muslims will be proud of him - I am."

Spence's England debut has come at a time when Islamophobia, discrimination and protests against refugees and migrants are on the rise in the UK.

Earlier this year a report from Tell Mama, which tracks Islamophobia, found anti-Muslim hate has reached an all-time high, with incidents more than doubling compared with 2023.

The organisation said there had been a "surge in rhetoric that falsely portrays Muslims as terrorists or terrorist sympathisers" following the Israel-Gaza conflict and the spreading of misinformation after the Southport murders. The UK government called the findings "extremely concerning".

A 2022 study by the University of Birmingham also found 26% of people in the UK feel negatively towards Muslims.

"The last few years in particular have been profoundly difficult for Muslim athletes around the world," Rahman says. "So when we get this sort of win, it's important that we all celebrate it, because we don't know when the next positive thing might come.

"Some people might say 'keep religion or politics out of football' but it's all intertwined. Players should be celebrated for who they are, whether it's Muslim faith, Christian faith or any other."

There are around four million Muslims living in the UK, but participation in football has been low historically, and the idea of a Muslim player reaching the senior national team squad seemed unrealistic to many.

"Growing up in East London in the early 1990s wasn't the easiest time," Rahman explains. "Never, ever in my life did I think we would have a British-born Muslim footballer playing for the England national team.

"It is very important that young men and women in sport are encouraged to be themselves. It costs us nothing to support a player for who they are, and it opens the gates for others in the future.

"It's not just Muslims - there are going to be kids of other heritages who are inspired by Djed."