Millie Chandarana aiming to provide real-life ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ role model

Manchester-born midfielder Chandarana, whose father is Indian and mother is English, has said she was the only Asian girl playing football that she knew of growing up – aside from the lead character in the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham.

In November Blackburn announced the 27-year-old was the recipient of the first South Asians in Football Leadership Scholarship, with the club saying at the time that she was the only British South Asian player with a professional contract in the Women’s Championship.

Asked about being a role model, Chandarana told the PA news agency: “It’s definitely something I embrace because I know the importance of it, because I didn’t really have a role model growing up as such. I didn’t really have a women’s player I looked up to.

“People talk a lot about Bend It Like Beckham (in which Parminder Nagra plays Jess Bhamra) – that was the only South Asian girl playing football at the time, and it’s a film. Quite a lot I’ve been compared to her, but I would’ve preferred to have been compared to a real footballer.

“Nowadays girls hopefully can look up, be compared to a professional player and say ‘I want to be a professional player’, that can make a career of it and get to above and beyond where I am, hopefully filter through the elite pathways into the national team. I do embrace it because I think it’s necessary.”

The scholarship has been founded by University Campus of Football Business and the Global Institute of Sport (GIS), along with journalist Dev Trehan, with the aim of promoting and supporting the growth of British South Asians in the game.

It sees Chandarana being mentored by Trehan as she studies for an MSc in Football Business at GIS Manchester Campus, and taking the GIS’ Inclusive Leadership in Football Award course.

“To be the first one of its kind is great,” Chandarana said. “Dev Trehan is pushing for change and really good to work with. I’m happy to receive the scholarship and hopefully we can build on it for the future.”

As noted in the Football Association’s Asian Inclusion strategy update last August, the 2021 census showed Asian communities making up 10.6 per cent of the population of England and Wales, with South Asian communities 6.9 per cent.

The update said while the number of professional players of Asian heritage remains low, there had been an increase in grassroots female Asian participation (aged 16+), from 15.4 per cent in 2022 to 17.5.

A lack of diversity in the women’s game has been a considerable talking point in recent years, and developments have included the FA making talent pathway changes and access to football for girls in schools being boosted.

On the low level of British South Asian representation, Chandarana said: “I think there’s a lot of factors, in terms of the community and externally. It takes a long time to change mindsets.

“It’s great to see a lot of girls playing at grassroots level, but the next step is going higher than that.

“With all the strategies, plans are being put in place for the future, which is great. I’m optimistic about it and I hope within 10 years there’s a lot more South Asian girls playing in the Championship and WSL (Women’s Super League).”

Chandarana was speaking ahead of the final day of the Championship season on Sunday, when Blackburn play at Sheffield United.

Sixth-placed Rovers beat Watford 1-0 last weekend with Chandarana facing fellow British South Asian player Safia Middleton-Patel, the 19-year-old Wales goalkeeper who joined the Hornets on loan from Manchester United in January and spent time with Blackburn last term.

Chandarana said them sharing a pitch was “a really good sign”, adding: “She’s a very good keeper, a good girl and a lot of people look up to her. Having someone like her in the game who can push things forward, it’s good to see.”