Mesut Özil vows to help South Asians in football as he launches Bradford centre

Footballer Mesut Özil has vowed to 'promote' and 'help' South Asians in football as he launches a centre in Bradford.

The Football for Peace Mesut Özil Centre will be hosted at the University of Bradford and run football and life skill sessions at Bradford City AFC's training ground.

It is thought the initiative is the first of its kind specifically for the South Asian Community and is welcomed by the Football Association.

The Premier League player said he understands the challenges of being from an ethnic minority background and hopes to provide more opportunities.

"I have always been surprised why the South Asian Community are only allowed to be fans of the game, why are we not seeing more players or managers breaking into professional football? I want to promote them, give them an opportunity to be successful both on and off the pitch. I myself am from an ethnic diverse background and understand the challenges.''

Around 7.5% of the UK population is thought to be British Asian, making it the most common ethnic minority in the UK.

However there are currently only 15 players from an Asian background out of the 4000 professionals in the country - just 0.38%.

If the proportion of Asian professionals was reflective of the population, there would be around twenty times as many as there currently are.

The centre has been co-launched by Football for Peace and the Football Association.

Rupinder Bains, a Football Association Board Member and Board Sponsor for Asian Inclusion said everyone should be able to enjoy the game, regardless of ethnicity or background.