Middleton-Patel's Euro 2025 history 'so important'

BBC News

7 days ago

Safia Middleton-Patel has already made history this month, but the hope is that her time in the limelight can be a catalyst for change.The goalkeeper - whose father is Indian - became the first female player of Asian heritage to play for Wales at a major tournament when she featured in her side's 4-1 group stage loss to France at Euro 2025.And journalist Miriam Walker-Khan - who founded Brown Girl Sport, a site telling stories of South Asian women in sport - believes Middleton-Patel is the first player of South Asian heritage to ever play at a women's Euros for any nation."I burst into tears when I saw that team sheet," Walker-Khan said.
"For people who grew up with no representation in sport at that level, that was a crazy feeling."I'm not even Welsh, but to see a British player make that kind of history with the name Patel on the back of her shirt is insane and something we've been waiting so long for in women's football."Roopa Vyas - COO of Her Game Too and founder of Her Game Too Cymru - felt it could prove a watershed moment."It's overwhelming in the best way," she told BBC Sport Wales."For those of us from South Asian backgrounds who've grown up loving football but rarely seeing ourselves in the game, this moment feels huge. It's not just symbolic - it's deeply personal."
Middleton-Patel's exploits came after left-back Neil Taylor - whose mother is Indian - became the first player of Asian heritage to play for Wales' men's side at a major tournament during their historic run to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 in France.In 2021, Taylor gave his backing to a new Professional Footballers' Association's (PFA) Asian Inclusion Mentoring Scheme (AIMS).The scheme's strategy is to "develop a sustainable flow of players of South Asian heritage into the professional game" - namely into the Premier League, English Football League and Women's Super League.Simone Pound - the PFA's director of equality, diversity and inclusion - states the scheme has demonstrated "impressive year-on-year growth" - with the programme's figures growing from just six players in 2019 to more than 140 in 2024.Speaking on the Football Association of Wales' Red Wall + series, 43-cap former defender Taylor said of the initiative: "Originally when we had the conversation, it was about getting participation levels up in the UK."Then we actually decided to get some data. What we found out was there's plenty of participation at grassroots level."Where the numbers fall away is from there (grassroots) to academies. So then we got a real idea of what we needed to do."The old phrase, 'you can't be it if you can't see it', I never really believed in it much when I was young. But since I've got older and have seen what this has done especially, it does play a big part, and I think there is going to be a shift. "For our country, the numbers are growing, and they will continue to grow now."
A catalyst for change?
Former Brentford player Riz Rehman runs AIMS as part of his role as player inclusion executive at the PFA.And Rehman believes Middleton-Patel's debut at the Euros - her fifth cap overall for her country - has the potential to positively influence the future generation who may have previously felt their route into the game was blocked."Visibility is incredibly impactful, especially on a major international stage like the Euros," he told BBC Sport Wales."Representation at the top level plays a huge role in shifting perceptions and positively impacting how people feel about a sport which they may not have previously thought was 'for them'. "In that sense, what Safia has done this summer is so important, and it's right that it's celebrated."While Middleton-Patel's showing on the big stage represents a landmark moment in numerous ways, Vyas says it must become "a turning point" for future players."As powerful as that visibility is, it can't do all the work on its own," she explained."Safia shouldn't have to carry the weight of change just by existing in that space. If we want to see more players from South Asian backgrounds breaking through, we need to meet this moment with real, practical action - not just celebration."That means challenging outdated assumptions in talent ID, properly supporting girls at grassroots level, and making sure football environments actually feel safe and inclusive - for them and for their families. "This can't just be a milestone - it needs to be a turning point."
A role model for many reasons
"Saf is such an incredible role model and speaks out about so much brilliant stuff when it comes to neurodiversity," added journalist Walker-Khan. "Saf is a legend already."Long before Manchester United's Middleton-Patel, 20, had even been included in the Wales squad for the summer tournament in Switzerland, she was viewed by many as a strong role model.She has regularly spoken about living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the various coping mechanisms she deploys.Her openness on the subject is deemed particularly crucial given that a recent PFA survey showed 60% of professional footballers who have reported they have certain neurodivergent traits have not disclosed them to their team or club.The goalkeeper was among those to collaborate with the PFA as part of their neurodiversity player research project - which looks at prevalence rates of neurodiversity in footballers and the awareness levels among players.Vyas - who hailed Middleton-Patel as a "incredible role model" - added: "She's showing girls and people of all ages that you don't have to tick every box or edit yourself to belong in this game. "You can succeed while being true to who you are. And that's what makes her such a powerful figure. "Not just a footballer, but someone who's quietly changing what leadership and representation look like in sport."