Dilan Markanday has become the first player of South Asian heritage to play for Blackburn Rovers.

The recent Spurs signing who is of Indian heritage came on against Hull City this week.

Manager Tony Mowbray is hoping new signing Dilan Markanday can have a big impact for Rovers this season and beyond, with the boss believing the club have been able to capture a highly promising and exciting young attacking talent.

One of Premier League 2’s hottest prospects, the 20-year-old forward has put pen-to-paper on a three-and-a-half-year contract, through to June 2025, with the option of an additional 12 months.

Raised in North London, Markanday joined Spurs at the age of 11 and enjoyed a successful rise through the club’s youth ranks to the fringes of the first team.

He helped Spurs’ Under-18s reach the final of the U18 Premier League Cup in 2017-18 and then finish runners-up in the U18 Premier League the following season, netting 11 goals in the process.

In 2019-20, Markanday stepped up to Tottenham’s Under-23s side, starting every game in their UEFA Youth League campaign, and he remained a regular starter the following season.

He said: “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous, but it’s all part of it and I can’t wait to get my career here started.

“The move away from home will help me grow massively off the pitch.

“That’s part of becoming a man and getting involved in that first-team environment.

“I’ll be going into a different dressing room, meeting different people, playing under a different manager and playing in a team that is desperate to get three points every week and pushing for promotion."

 

 

Voted Premier League 2’s Player of the Month for October, the 20-year-old livewire also made his first team debut away to Vitesse in the UEFA Europa Conference League that month and has also started three Papa John’s Trophy ties this term.

Markanday, who will wear the number 18 shirt at Ewood Park, becomes Rovers’ third signing of the January transfer window following the arrivals of right-backs James Brown and Deyovaisio Zeefuik.