Grimsby Town's Otis Khan makes his Pakistan international debut in Mauritius; Khan played at Manchester United's academy and turned pro at Sheffield United, before playing for clubs across the EFL; Khan is one of the most respected footballers hailing from Britain's South Asian community
Tuesday 13 June 2023 11:27, UK
Grimsby Town attacking midfielder Otis Khan has made his international debut for Pakistan in Mauritius.
Khan, 27, who has just been named in a first-of-its-kind South Asians in Football Team of the Season, started against the hosts in the opening match of the Mauritius Four Nations Cup on Sunday. Fellow British-Pakistanis Rahis Nabi and Harun Hamid also featured in the game, with Mauritius earning a 3-0 victory.
Kenya and Djibouti are the other nations taking part, with Pakistan competing as part of their preparations for this month's South Asian Football Federation Championship (SAFF) in India.
Sky Sports News exclusively revealed last month that Khan's international clearance was on the verge of completion, with the Pakistan Football Federation confirming the news the following day to the delight of Shaheens fans worldwide.
FA Council member and former Blackburn Rovers academy player Jimmy Khan, who played for Pakistan in 1989, told Sky Sports News representing Pakistan "will mean everything to Otis".
Khan spent the formative years of his early development at Manchester United's academy before joining Sheffield United where he turned professional and made his senior league debut in 2014.
After a brief spell at Barnsley, Khan joined Yeovil Town where he became a fan favourite with 18 goals and 15 assists across 87 games for the club. An 18-month stay at Mansfield Town was followed by a loan at Newport County, before he joined Tranmere Rovers as a free agent.
Khan was part of the Tranmere side that reached the League Two play-offs in the 2020/21 season, while also finishing runners-up in the EFL Trophy final.
He has since played for both Walsall and Leyton Orient, before electing to join Grimsby Town on a two-year deal last summer.
Khan made 31 League Two appearances for Grimsby last term and played a key role in the Mariners' run to the quarter-finals of last season's FA Cup.
The midfielder scored twice in the competition and also featured in Grimsby's memorable fifth round win away at Southampton.
Pakistan's women's team returned to the international arena at last year's Women's SAFF Championship in Nepal.
Doncaster Rovers Belles attacker Nadia Khan, who Sky Sports News revealed had received international clearance just in time to fly to Kathmandu for the tournament, made history in Pakistan's final group game against Mauritius, becoming the first woman to score four goals in an international match for the nation.
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