Imran Kayani

Imran Kayani
Kayani playing for Whitehawk in 2023
Personal information
Full name Imran Shahid Kayani
Date of birth (2001-12-24) 24 December 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth Chertsey, England
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Westfield
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)
2023–2024 Whitehawk 36 (10)
2024 Cray Wanderers 5 (0)
2024– Westfield 0 (0)
International career‡
2023– Pakistan 6 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:42, 27 August 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:00, 11 June 2024 (UTC)

Imran Shahid Kayani (Urdu: عمران شاہد کیانی; born 24 December 2001) is a footballer who plays as a forward for Isthmian League South Central Division club Westfield. Born in England, he represents the Pakistan national team.[1]

Club career

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] Throughout his stay, Kayani had played 46 times for the Hawks, and scoring fourteen goals, including a hat trick in a four-one win at Kingstonian.[13]

Cray Wanderers

In September 2024, Kayani moved to Isthmian League side Cray Wanderers.[13]

Westfield

On 2 November 2024, Kayani moved Isthmian League South Central Division club Westfield based in Surrey.[14]

International career

In August 2023, Kayani declared his intention to play for Pakistan as it is his country of heritage.[15] 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.[16]

Personal life

Kayani's family originate from the city of Rawalpindi in Pakistan. He enrolled in Queen Mary University of London in 2021 to complete his bachelor in Computer Science.[17][18]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 25 November 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
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[a] 1 18 3
2022–23[21][22] National League South 25 3 1 0 — 1[b] 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[c] 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[d] 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[e] 2 14 6
Career total 70 12 4 1 0 0 8 3 82 16
  1. ^ One appearance and one goal in Berks & Bucks Senior Cup, one appearance in FA Trophy
  2. ^ Appearance(s) in Berks & Bucks Senior Cup
  3. ^ Appearance(s) in FA Trophy
  4. ^ Appearance(s) in Middlesex Senior Charity Cup
  5. ^ One appearance and two goals in Sussex Senior Challenge Cup, two appearances in FA Trophy

International

As of match played 11 June 2024[26]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Pakistan 2023 2 0
2024 4 0
Total 6 0

References

  1. ^ a b "South Asians in Football Weekly: Sunny Singh Gill referees in Championship | Imran Kayani gets Pakistan call". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  2. ^ a b "Tom with the Toon". Hanwell Town Football Club. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  3. ^ a b c d "Kings Langley Bring in Two - The Southern League". southern-football-league.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  4. ^ a b c "Injury-hit Hartley Wintney bring in four high-profile players on loan". Basingstoke Gazette. 2022-10-04. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  5. ^ "Imran Kayani agrees contract with Rebels". Slough Town FC. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  6. ^ "Squad update: Kayani joins Kingstonian on loan". Slough Town FC. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  7. ^ Acklam, Joe (2023-03-27). "Hanwell Town well beaten by play-off chasing Swindon Supermarine". Ealing Nub News. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  8. ^ "Another new face at Dover". Kent Online. 2023-06-12. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  9. ^ "Late goal condemns Rebels to home defeat". Slough Town FC. 2023-08-12. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  10. ^ "Imran Kayani joins the Hawks". Whitehawk FC. 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ "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.
  13. ^ a b "The Pitching In Isthmian League". www.isthmian.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  14. ^ "Imran Kayanı signs for Westfield". www.westfield-fc.com. Retrieved 2024-11-02.
  15. ^ "Future of Football: When will a country from South Asia emerge as a powerhouse in the global game?". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  16. ^ "Saudi Arabia vs. Pakistan – 16 November 2023 – Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  17. ^ "Queen Mary University Footballer Aims for World Cup Glory with Pakistan". Queen Mary University of London. 2024-03-19. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  18. ^ "We spoke to the Queen Mary student playing international football for Pakistan". UCL. 2024-03-04. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  19. ^ https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/bedfont-sports/appearances/2020-2021/imran-kayani/923257
  20. ^ https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/bedfont-sports/appearances/2021-2022/imran-kayani/923257
  21. ^ a b c d e "Imran Kayani | Player Profile · Aylesbury United Archive". www.aylesburyunitedarchive.com. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  22. ^ https://www.sloughtownfc.net/profile/2177/Imran-Kayani
  23. ^ https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/kingstonian/appearances/2022-2023/imran-kayani/947768
  24. ^ "England - I. Kayani - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  25. ^ https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/whitehawk/appearances/imran-kayani/955389
  26. ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Imran Kayani (Player)". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2023-11-22.