Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on September 9, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleDjed Spence made history as the first Muslim to play for England, marking a significant moment for British Muslims in football.
BELGRADE (Reuters) -Tottenham Hotspur defender Djed Spence made history on Tuesday when he came off the bench in Belgrade to become the first Muslim to earn a senior cap for England.
Spence, 25, replaced Chelsea's Reece James in the 69th minute of England's 5-0 World Cup qualifying victory.
"It's a moment of celebration for British Muslims," Ebadur Rahman, founder of Nujum Sports, an organisation which supports more than 400 Muslim athletes through faith advice and professional counselling, said ahead of the game.
"Djed has big responsibility on his shoulders -- not only is he playing for England, he is playing for Muslims around the world because he is now a role model breaking a barrier."
Spence's first England appearance is a landmark moment for British Muslims who are under-represented in professional football in the country, despite making up 6% of the population.
"We just haven't had the Muslim players coming through," Yunus Lunat, a grassroots coach and former chair of the Football Association's race equality advisory board, told the BBC. "Muslims haven't had enough opportunities or enough role models for young, aspiring players to follow.
"It's not particularly good that it's taken until 2025 for a Muslim to play for England."
London-born Spence began his professional career with Middlesbrough before joining Tottenham in 2022. After a tough start with the London club and being loaned out he has become an important part of the squad and played in their Europa League final victory last season.
(Reporting by Martyn HermanEditing by Toby Davis)
Djed Spence is a 25-year-old Tottenham Hotspur defender who recently made history by becoming the first Muslim to earn a senior cap for England.
Spence's debut is a landmark moment for British Muslims, who have been under-represented in professional football, despite making up 6% of the population.
Djed Spence made his England debut on Tuesday during a World Cup qualifying match in Belgrade, where he came off the bench in the 69th minute.
Ebadur Rahman, founder of Nujum Sports, described Spence's debut as a moment of celebration for British Muslims and emphasized his role as a model for Muslims worldwide.
Spence began his professional career with Middlesbrough and joined Tottenham in 2022, where he faced a tough start and was loaned out before becoming an important part of the team.
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