'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABbAAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABxAAAgICAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBQAEBgcREiEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECEQACAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgARIUH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AKNxDpnjnVVQLKis7g7tzVtXTSzywMI02gmy7IFiU/RKeD6JyzaXJbzU09fXhsJxHDCiIGEbEKo8HpKfuMZC6obpiHY2p0DZ/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand recently shared a highlight reel of former Liverpool youngster Yan Dhanda. He urged Indian manager Igor Stimac and All India Football Federation (AIFF) officials Kalyan Chaubey and Shaji Prabhakaran to consider calling him up to the national team.
Dhanda currently plies his trade at Scottish Premiership side Ross County as an attacking midfielder. He is also a former England U17 international who was born in Birmingham, England. While his mother is English, his father was born in England to Punjabi parents.
The 24-year-old spent five years of his youth career at Liverpool from 2013 to 2018. He represented the Reds in competitions like the U18 Premier League and FA Youth Cup. He amassed 20 appearances for the club, scoring seven goals and providing eight assists.
In his final season with the Reds, he played for the U21 side, scoring five times from 18 appearances in the Premier League 2 campaign. He left Liverpool in May 2018 to join Championship side Swansea City, where he made over 60 appearances.
Prior to the 2022-23 season, Dhanda joined Scottish side Ross County and elevated his form to the next level. In 29 appearances so far this season, he has scored thrice and provided seven assists.
His performance caught the eye of former Manchester United centre-back Ferdinand, who commended the youngster on Twitter:
"Love it @yandhanda... surely @indianfootball national team"
Dhanda would be a perfect fit for the Indian national football team with his creativity and eye for goal. Now that he has been put into the limelight, he could possibly represent India soon. Fans took to Twitter to express their delight:
Why former Liverpool youngster Yan Dhanda could be denied the chance to represent India
While many Indian football fans were excited about the possibility of talented midfielder Yan Dhanda playing for India, they may have to settle for disappointment.
Dhanda is an English citizen and currently, the Constitution of India does not allow the holding of Indian citizenship with that of a foreign country simultaneously.
This was made apparent when AIFF Secretary General Shaji Prabhakaran replied to Ferdinand's tweet:
"It would be our pleasure to welcome Yan to India national team if he is willing to apply for Indian passport by moving to India. His challenge wd be to relinquish his current nationality but it will be worth as he can quickly emerge as a hero of 1.4billion."
Dhanda quickly replied, stating why this wasn't possible for him:
"Giving up my passport means I can’t play professionally in the UK and some European clubs, due to India’s FIFA ranking. Permitting OCI cards, similar to other countries, will allow me to represent the Indian football team as a dual national. I hope this can happen soon."
While the odds of the former Liverpool player representing India are currently low, it cannot be completely ruled out, with the door being left open for him to join.
