England’s Inaugural Tamil Professional Footballer Aspires to Elite Level

Upon Vimal Yoganathan’s initial appearance on the field for Barnsley, club management recognized his exceptional talent. The 18-year-old receives commendation for his pace, mindset, and ambidextrous playing style; however, these are not his sole distinguishing attributes. Vimal holds the distinction of being the first Tamil footballer to compete professionally in England, belonging to a small group of players of South Asian heritage active in the top four leagues. He states, “Being a role model will be a big part of being a footballer,” adding, “Hopefully I can do that and inspire younger players coming through – especially Tamil people.” Vimal’s relatives originate from Sri Lanka, and the midfielder spent his formative years in Trelawnyd, a modest village situated in north Wales. He recounts having few childhood companions from a comparable background, noting that at times “it was a bit difficult.” He informed BBC Asian Network that although his family experienced community acceptance, “there weren’t people you could 100% relate to in terms of fitting in to a predominantly white area.” Soon after, his childhood team, Liverpool, identified him, and he joined their academy by the age of eight. Subsequently, he moved to Barnsley’s under-16s squad and progressed within the club. In August, he netted his initial senior goals for the League One team, and earlier that year, he made his first appearance for the under-19s Welsh national team, entering as a substitute during a match against Belgium. Standing at 6ft 3in (191cm), Vimal’s stature was not the sole factor distinguishing him at Barnsley, as stated by the club’s academy director Bobby Hassell, though it undeniably contributed. Hassell remarked, “He came in at 15 years old, a really tall, gangly, skinny lad – didn’t look like a footballer at all in all honesty.” He added, “It was his aggression really that was a stand-out for all the coaches. “You don’t generally find 15-year-olds coming in and tackling like he did.”” During 2023, only 22 professional athletes of South Asian descent, aged 17 or older, were active in England’s top four leagues. Considering approximately 5,000 professional footballers in the UK, this constitutes about 1% of all players. While these numbers remain modest, data from the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) indicated a 29% increase compared to the preceding season, which had recorded merely 17 such players. Vimal comments, “Whenever I’d step on to an academy pitch, I’d be the only brown player and obviously the only Tamil player.” He continued, “It almost became normal to me – but that has to change.” In 2021, the PFA introduced its Asian Inclusion Mentoring Scheme (AIMS), which has provided assistance to Vimal throughout his career to date. He remarks, “It shows me how many brown players there are in the game,” adding, “And it’s grown as well – it’s good to see.” Bobby indicated his awareness of the additional burden placed on Vimal concerning his role as a representative for the British Asian community. He stated, “I understand the difficulties in terms of families allowing young players to play soccer.” Vimal mentioned a common perception that British Asian parents favor their children concentrating on academic pursuits. He explained, “I think the thing that scares a lot of parents is the risk.” He continued, “You put a lot of hours and a lot of dedication into becoming a footballer but obviously there’s no guarantee.” He expressed gratitude for his parents’ encouragement. He affirmed, “Being a footballer wasn’t only my dream,” adding, “It was also theirs.” Bobby believes Vimal is “certainly showing the way” for families regarding available opportunities. He commented, “I think they can look now and see kids don’t just need an education,” concluding, “There is a pathway in football.” Vimal avoids the term “trailblazer” when discussions arise about his accomplishments and future prospects. He asserts that football is his primary focus. He believes that being a role model “should just come naturally.” However, Barnsley’s sporting director Mladen Sormaz characterizes Vimal as “humble.” Sormaz remarked, “There aren’t a tonne of role models,” adding, “But I think this is the generation where we’re going to start seeing icons.” He envisions a promising future for Vimal, stating he “got everything in terms of the tools to become a top level professional.” Sormaz concluded, “All he needs now is the pathway and a little bit of luck.” Mladen recalled his own youth, during which the participation of British Asian children in casual football progressively declined with age. He is of the opinion that athletes such as Vimal could contribute to retaining them in the sport. He stated, “It’s just having role models out there, seeing people do it successfully.” He expressed hope, “Hopefully Vimal will be one of them. “As a representative, he’s shown that he’s quite keen to take that on for the community.”” Tune in to Ankur Desai’s program on BBC Asian Network, broadcast live from 15:00-18:00 Monday to Thursday, or access previous episodes here. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the material on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.