"Umar Nawaz was just seven years old when his world was turned upside down by a deadly terrorist attack in Pakistan. Umar thought he was "dreaming" after hearing his big brother Haris was among the 141 killed by the Pakistan Taliban in the Army Public School massacre in Peshawar on 16 December 2014. His other older brother, Ahmad, was shot in the arm, leaving him with an injury requiring emergency surgery."
"Umar picked up English after just four months in primary school, and started playing football at his local park. "I would buy cones and start practising basic skills like kick-ups and dribbling" he recalls. He asked his parents to put him up for local football team, Bournville FC, where he was scouted for Premier League side Wolverhampton FC, before getting picked up by Wrexham FC."
""My style is like Haaland, I play a lot like him," says Umar, who is also a huge Manchester City fan. Umar jokes that his dad soon had him on a diet of 14 boiled eggs a day, chicken breast and rice, but the discipline soon led to his first international appearance, playing for Pakistan's international team against Syria in November. This required him to return to Pakistan for the first time - a bitt"
Umar Nawaz was seven when the Army Public School massacre in Peshawar killed his brother Haris and injured another brother, Ahmad. The family moved to the UK for Ahmad's emergency treatment and decided to remain because of safety concerns. Umar experienced trauma but grew to feel protected in Birmingham, learning English within four months and developing a strong interest in football. He practiced in local parks, joined Bournville FC, was scouted by Wolverhampton and later signed by Wrexham FC. He models his play on Erling Haaland, followed a disciplined diet, and made his Pakistan national team debut against Syria, returning to Pakistan for the first time.
Read at www.bbc.com
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