From being a late developer to a history maker!
Having trained at Tottenham Hotspur in his youth career, Dilan Markanday quickly rose to a professional level and started playing for the Tottenham Hotspur senior team. Thus he became the first Asian on the team and one of the only 4 British-Indians to represent a Premier League side.
His life as a Brit-Indian footballer has made him widely known. The midfielder has played for no fewer than 4 teams since his senior career debut in October 2021. He has played for Tottenham Hotspur and Blackburn Rover. He later moved to Aberdeen and then to Chesterfield, both on loan contracts.
Markanday’s career is nothing short of an impressive one as he continues to break records. In this article, I will explore his ancestry, parents, childhood, career, relationships, and several other important details.
He Joined Tottenham at 12
Dilan Kumar Markanday was born in Barnet, London, on August 20, 2001. He was born to Indian parents Deepa and Arun Markanday.
The footballer started playing football at a young age but it was at the age of 12 he joined Tottenham Academy. This same academy has produced numerous footballers and former players such as Peter Crouch, Harry Kane, Ian Walker, Dean Marney, and Sol Campbell.
Whatever the case, Markanday’s time at the academy came with its rough patches in his early days. He recounted in an interview how he was in the developing squad for a long time and how some of the staff didn’t feel him from the beginning.
At one point, he doubted his ability and wondered if you would have a future in football. He would later find ways to put in more effort and dedication; and with the support he got from his parents, he turned out great.
There Were Odds Against Him
When Dilan was younger, he faced discrimination. It was almost a norm for people of his descent in Britain to go to school, acquire as many certificates as possible, and get other jobs far from sports.
In his case, he fell in love with football. He however juggled school with football and by the time he was 16, he won a scholarship.
The footballer was often told to focus more on education because it was a safer route – he explained in a team interview on VERSUS.
See Also: David Beckham Life Outside Football
How Markanday Made History as the First Player of South Asian Descent to Play for Tottenham
Following his graduation from Tottenham Hotspur Academy, Markanday started his professional career. He made his debut on 21 October 2021, thereby becoming the first British Asian player and also the first player of Indian descent to play for Tottenham.
It is worth saying that his dribbling prowess, key passes, and successful crosses didn’t go unnoticed and these among many factors landed him a spot in Tottenham’s senior team.
Sooner than expected, he left Tottenham for Blackburn Rovers on a three-and-a-half-year deal in the January 2022 transfer window. His joining the team didn’t come with much luck so to speak. He suffered an injury in his hamstring in his debut game.
Shortly after and in the same January 2022, the right winger started another phase of his career with the Scottish Premiership club Aberdeen on a loan deal. This was followed by another loan contract to a League Two club Chesterfield in August 2024.
In summary, Dilan Markanday has played in leagues such as the Premier League, EFL Championship, Scottish Premiership, and EFL League Two.
Who is Dilan Markanday Dating?
The 2001-born former Tottenham player keeps his love life private. While there are possibilities that he may be single, there are also chances that the Indian-British winger could be in a relationship.
If he stays true to the popular dating pattern of footballers, then we guess that he may be dating a model or may date a model.
Many athletes and footballers are known for being with models. Some famous footballers to have dated models are Neymar, Mesut Ozil, Christiano Ronaldo, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Kevin-Prince Boateng.
