Imran_Kayani
Imran Kayani
English-born Pakistani footballer
Imran Shahid Kayani (Urdu: عمران شاہد کیانی; born 24 December 2001) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Isthmian League Premier Division club Whitehawk. Born in England, he represents the Pakistan national team.[1]
|
Kayani playing for Whitehawk in 2023 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Imran Shahid Kayani | ||
| Date of birth | (2001-12-24) 24 December 2001 (age 22) | ||
| Place of birth | Chertsey, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Whitehawk | ||
| Number | 11 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2020–2021 | Sutton United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2021 | Sutton United | 0 | (0) |
| 2020 | → Bedfont Sports (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2021 | Bedfont Sports | 1 | (0) |
| 2021–2023 | Slough Town | 41 | (5) |
| 2021–2022 | → Kings Langley (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | → Hartley Wintney (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2023 | → Kingstonian (loan) | 7 | (3) |
| 2023 | → Hanwell Town (loan) | 3 | (1) |
| 2023 | Dover Athletic | 2 | (0) |
| 2023– | Whitehawk | 15 | (5) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023– | Pakistan | 4 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16 January 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:00, 26 March 2024 (UTC) | |||
Early career
Kayani started as a youth playing for Chelsea Elite from the age of 11 to 16.[2] He also represented the Surrey county, through which Royal Russell offered him a scholarship where he was able to train full time alongside getting his A levels. During this time, he was also selected to represent England Schoolboys where he scored on his debut aganinst Wales.[2][3]
Sutton United
Upon the completion of his scholarship, Kayani signed for Sutton United youth academy in August 2020.[3]
Bedfont Sports
Kayani gained his first-team experience on loan at Bedfont Sports at the Isthmian League South Central Division, who he also played for in July 2021.[3]
Slough Town
Kayani joined the under-23 side of National League South club Slough Town in August 2021.[4] He made 26 appearances for the club first team in the 2021–22 season, scoring four times. He also scored a hat-trick against Hartley Wintney's U23 while playing for Slough Town under-23 team.[4][5]
Kings Langley (loan)
In December 2021, Kayani joined Southern Football League side Kings Lanley on loan.[3]
Hartley Wintney (loan)
In October 2022, Kayani was loaned to Hartley Wintney, whom he grabbed the club attention when he previously scored a hat trick against them.[4]
Kingstonian (loan)
In February 2023, Kayani joined Isthmian League side Kingstonian on a 28-day loan.[6]
Hanwell Town (loan)
After his short stint at Kingstonian, Kayani joined Hanwell Town. He scored on his debut against Swindon Supermarine in a 1–3 home defeat.[7]
Dover Athletic
In June 2023, Kayani signed for Dover Athletic following his departure from Slough Town.[8][9]
Whitehawk
After his short spell at Dover Athletic, Kayani signed for Isthmian League side Whitehawk in September 2023.[10] He scored on his home debut in a 4–0 victory against Redhill at the 2023–24 FA Cup qualifying rounds.[11] He scored 4 goals in his first three matches.[12]
In August 2023, Kayani declared his intention to play for Pakistan as it is his country of heritage.[13] Three months later in November 2023, Kayani was called up by the Pakistan national team for the second round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.[1] He made his international debut on 16 November 2023 as a substitute against Saudi Arabia in their 4–0 away defeat.[14]
Kayani's family originate from the city of Rawalpindi in Pakistan.[15] He enrolled in Queen Mary University of London in 2021 to complete his bachelor in Computer Science.[16][17][18]
Club
- As of match played 25 November 2023
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sutton United | 2020–21 | National League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bedfont Sports (loan) | 2020–21[19] | Isthmian League South Central Division | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Bedfont Sports | 2021–22[20] | Isthmian League South Central Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Slough Town | 2021–22[21] | National League South | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[lower-alpha 1] | 1 | 18 | 3 | |
| 2022–23[21][22] | National League South | 25 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 1[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 27 | 3 | ||
| Total | 41 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 45 | 6 | ||
| Kings Langley (loan) | 2021–22[21] | SFL Premier Division South | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Hartley Wintney (loan) | 2022–23[21] | SFL Premier Division South | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[lower-alpha 3] | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| Kingstonian (loan) | 2022–23[23] | Isthmian League Premier Division | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | |
| Hanwell Town (loan) | 2022–23[21] | SFL Premier Division South | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[lower-alpha 4] | 0 | 4 | 1 | |
| Dover Athletic | 2023–24[24] | National League South | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Whitehawk | 2023–24[25] | Isthmian League Premier Division | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | 3[lower-alpha 5] | 2 | 14 | 6 | |
| Career total | 70 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 82 | 16 | ||
- One appearance and one goal in Berks & Bucks Senior Cup, one appearance in FA Trophy
- Appearance(s) in Berks & Bucks Senior Cup
- Appearance(s) in FA Trophy
- Appearance(s) in Middlesex Senior Charity Cup
- One appearance and two goals in Sussex Senior Challenge Cup, two appearances in FA Trophy
International
- As of match played 26 March 2024[26]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | 2023 | 2 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 4 | 0 | |
- "South Asians in Football Weekly: Sunny Singh Gill referees in Championship | Imran Kayani gets Pakistan call". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
- "Tom with the Toon". Hanwell Town Football Club. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
- "Kings Langley Bring in Two - The Southern League". southern-football-league.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
- "Injury-hit Hartley Wintney bring in four high-profile players on loan". Basingstoke Gazette. 2022-10-04. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
- "Imran Kayani agrees contract with Rebels". Slough Town FC. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
- "Squad update: Kayani joins Kingstonian on loan". Slough Town FC. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
- Acklam, Joe (2023-03-27). "Hanwell Town well beaten by play-off chasing Swindon Supermarine". Ealing Nub News. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
- "Another new face at Dover". Kent Online. 2023-06-12. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
- "Late goal condemns Rebels to home defeat". Slough Town FC. 2023-08-12. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
- "Imran Kayani joins the Hawks". Whitehawk FC. 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
- "South Asians in Football Weekly: Arjun Singh Purewal, Simran Jhamat and Imran Kayani all hit the back of the net". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
- "South Asians in Football Weekly: Derby's Kira Rai dazzles, Rohan Luthra keeps clean sheet, Imran Kayani in red-hot form". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
- "Future of Football: When will a country from South Asia emerge as a powerhouse in the global game?". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
- "Saudi Arabia vs. Pakistan – 16 November 2023 – Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
- "Pakistani Football Star Imran Kayani Scores a Brace for Whitehawk FC". ProPakistani. 9 January 2024.
- Ahmed, Faiz (11 November 2023). "Who is Pakistan's English-Born Striker Imran Kayani?". ProPakistani.
- "Queen Mary University Footballer Aims for World Cup Glory with Pakistan". Queen Mary University of London. 2024-03-19. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
- "We spoke to the Queen Mary student playing international football for Pakistan". UCL. 2024-03-04. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
- "Imran Kayani | Player Profile · Aylesbury United Archive". www.aylesburyunitedarchive.com. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- "England - I. Kayani - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Imran Kayani (Player)". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- Imran Kayani at National-Football-Teams.com
- Imran Kayani at Soccerway
- Imran Kayani at Global Sports Archive