Hamza Dewan Choudhury (Bengali: হামজা দেওয়ান চৌধুরী; born 1 October 1997) is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or right-back for EFL Championship club Sheffield United, on loan from Premier League club Leicester City. Born in England, he plays for the Bangladesh national team.
Choudhury is a product of Leicester City Academy, he joined the club at the age of seven. After gaining professional experience with two loan spells at Burton Albion, he has made over 100 senior appearances for Leicester since 2017. With Leicester, Choudhury won the FA Cup in 2021.
Choudhury has represented England at under-21 level and, after receiving his Bangladeshi passport in late 2024, made the decision to play for the Bangladesh national team.
Early life
Choudhury was born in Loughborough, Leicestershire to a Grenadian father and Bangladeshi mother. Choudhury was raised in a traditional Bangladeshi Muslim household by his mother and stepfather and has visited Bangladesh since he was a child. His maternal ancestral home is in Bahubal, Habiganj District in Bangladesh.
Club career
Early career
Choudhury began his career at the Leicester City Academy, joining the club at the age of 7 in 2005. At the age of 16, Choudhury was reportedly monitored by a number of top European clubs.
Loan to Burton Albion
Choudhury joined League One leaders Burton Albion on a one-month loan deal on 27 February 2016. He made his debut in the Football League later that same day, coming on as a 77th-minute substitute for Tom Naylor in a 0–0 draw with Walsall at the Pirelli Stadium. On 6 August 2016, Choudhury signed another loan deal with Burton Albion for the 2016–17 season. On the same day, Choudhury featured in Burton Albion's first ever Championship game, claiming an assist in a 4–3 defeat against Nottingham Forest.
First-team breakthrough
Choudhury made his first-team debut for Leicester City on 19 September 2017, coming on as substitute in a 2–0 win against Liverpool at home in the third round of the EFL Cup. He made his Premier League debut on 28 November as a substitute at home in a 2–1 win against Tottenham Hotspur. His first Premier League start came on 14 April 2018, in a 2–1 away defeat to Burnley.
On 30 August 2019, Choudhury signed a new four-year contract with Leicester. On 1 January 2020, Choudhury scored his first senior goal for Leicester, an outside the box strike in the 86th minute, in a 3–0 away win at Newcastle United.
On 22 October 2020, Choudhury made his first appearance in a European competition, coming off the bench in the 71st minute against Zorya Luhansk. He became the first footballer of Bangladeshi descent to make an appearance in a European competition by doing so. One week later, Choudhury scored a 39th-minute volley against AEK Athens, winning the match 2–1. He became the first footballer of Bangladeshi descent to score in one of the two major UEFA club competitions, the first British Asian to score in European competitions since Michael Chopra in the defunct UEFA Intertoto Cup, and the first British Asian to score in the current UEFA competitions.
On 11 April 2021, Choudhury was one of three players dropped from Leicester's squad for the game against West Ham United after breaching COVID-19 protocols. On 15 May 2021, he came on as an 82nd-minute substitute in the 2021 FA Cup Final, which Leicester won 1–0 for his first career honour.
Loans to Watford
On 10 August 2022, Choudhury joined Championship club Watford on loan for the season, with the option to make the move permanent the following summer. He made his debut two days later in a 1–0 home win over Burnley, and was praised by manager Rob Edwards.
Loan to Sheffield United
Choudhury joined Championship club Sheffield United on 27 January 2025 on loan until the end of the 2024–25 season.
International career
On 26 May 2018, Choudhury made his debut for the England national under-21 football team, coming on as a substitute during the 2–1 win against China under-21 in the 2018 Toulon Tournament. Choudhury started for England in the next match of the tournament, a 0–0 draw against Mexico.
On 27 May 2019, Choudhury was included in England's 23-man squad for the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship but was shown a straight red card for a reckless tackle during the second half of the opening 2–1 defeat to France in Cesena.
While eligible to represent Bangladesh and Grenada, Choudhury expressed in October 2019 that his goal was to play for England, saying, "To play for England is my biggest dream, to represent the senior team." However, on 27 February 2024, reports confirmed he was in talks to join the Bangladesh national team for their 2026 World Cup qualifiers in March 2024.
Choudhury obtained his Bangladeshi passport on 23 August 2024, and on 24 September 2024, the English Football Association issued him a No Objection Certificate (NOC), allowing him to officially represent Bangladesh. He officially switched allegiance to Bangladesh on 19 December 2024.
On 9 February 2025, Hamza was included in the preliminary squad for Bangladesh's 2027 AFC Asian Cup third round qualifier match against India. On 25 March, he made his debut for Bangladesh in a 0–0 draw against India.
Personal life
Choudhury can speak Sylheti with a good degree of fluency. Choudhury is a Sunni Muslim, and attended evening madrasa during his youth. He has stated that before leaving the changing room for a match, he recites parts of the Qur'an in Arabic such as the Throne Verse and various duas.
In April 2019, Choudhury apologised for his historical tweets about race and suicide. He was later charged with misconduct by the FA, and fined £5,000 and put on an educational course.
Choudhury and his wife have three children born in 2018, 2020, and 2023.
On 19 January 2024, Choudhury was caught drink driving on the wrong side of the road in West Bridgford after leaving his phone behind in a restaurant. He was given a driving ban and was fined £20,000 by Nottingham Magistrates' Court.
After winning in the 2021 FA Cup final, Choudhury and his teammate Wesley Fofana both celebrated draped in the flag of Palestine, during the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis. In October 2023, Choudhury used the phrase "from the river to the sea" on X in the wake of the Gaza war. The Football Association later wrote to clubs to ask their players not to use the phrase on social media.
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 8 March 2025
International
- As of match played 25 March 2025
Honours
Leicester City
- FA Cup: 2020–21
- FA Community Shield: 2021
- EFL Championship: 2023–24
Burton Albion F.C.
- EFL League One runner up: 2015–16
England U21
- Toulon Tournament: 2018
See also
- British Asians in association football
References
External links
- Profile at the Leicester City F.C. website
- Hamza Choudhury – UEFA competition record (archive)
- Hamza Choudhury at Soccerway
