Bangladesh’s newest recruit, Hamza Choudhury, expressed his enthusiasm and optimism about joining the national football team during a press conference held at a hotel in the capital today (March 19). Accompanied by Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuiyan and head coach Javier Cabrera, Hamza spoke candidly about his expectations, mindset, and commitment to the team’s long-term success.
Despite playing at a higher club level—currently with EFL Championship side Sheffield United on loan from Premier League club Leicester City—Hamza acknowledged the experience of his new teammates in international football.
“At the end of the day, I'm from a different league, I play a different style of football. But these players here, like Jamal the captain, they are much more experienced than me in international football. And experience goes a long way. So I’m here to learn from them as well. Inshallah, we can be successful, and we just want to take one step at a time.”
Hamza, who has Bangladeshi heritage through his maternal side, emphasized that success will not come overnight but through steady progress.
“We are a great nation. We can achieve whatever we’d like, but we have to put in the hard work and respect the process of reaching that level. We’re in no rush—we have a lot of time, Inshallah. I’ll be playing for Bangladesh for a number of years.”
Having been in discussions with Cabrera for weeks before officially joining the squad, Hamza was impressed with the team’s tactical development.
“I’m very hopeful and excited. The coach and I have been in contact for a number of weeks. He showed me several video clips, and I was very surprised at the team’s tactical abilities and how they attack opponents. I’m hopeful I can add something to the team.”
Bd-Pratidin English/ARK
