Anwar Uddin

Uddin was the first Bangladeshi to play professional football in England and the first British Asian to captain a football club in the top four divisions of English football. He began his football career at West Ham United, working his way up through their youth and reserve teams where he was captain. He was in West Ham's victorious 1999 FA Youth Cup winning squad that defeated Coventry City. Although highly regarded, as a bright talented traditional English defender, he was never able to break through into the first team and in February 2002 moved to Sheffield Wednesday on a free transfer. His stay was brief as after the collapse of ITV Digital, Sheffield Wednesday could not afford to keep him due to financial difficulties. He moved to Bristol Rovers the following summer after only four months and no appearances. He was an almost ever present in the following season until the end of October, picking up a serious groin injury which he was to struggle with for the rest of the season. At Bristol Rovers he scored his first career goal in a 2–2 draw with York City. After making a few appearances the following season he was loaned out to Hereford United and Telford United, and was released by Bristol Rovers at the end of the season. During the summer of 2004, Uddin signed for Dagenham & Redbridge. He became the captain of the team. At the time, Anwar was just one of only five professional British Asians playing in the Football League and Premiership, where it is estimated that…

In 2011 after the departure of Martin Allen from Barnet to Notts County, Anwar stepped into an assistant management position under Giuliano Grazioli with the club sitting in the relegation zone and on the brink of relegation. In the three months in charge of the EFL League Two club they acquired enough points to stay in the division on the last day of the season. Grazioli and Anwar also helped Barnet win the Hertfordshire Senior Cup. Uddin resumed his playing duties as club captain with the arrival of Lawrie Sanchez. Then after retiring due to injury in September 2013, Anwar returned to his first club West Ham United as a part-time coach for their youth team, working with their under 16's group. In September 2014, he was appointed assistant manager of Maldon & Tiptree. In May 2015, he was appointed manager of Sporting Bengal United. In May 2016, Anwar left Sporting Bengal after leading the club to their record Essex Senior League points tally. In January 2017, he was appointed manager of Ware. However, he left the club in March. In October 2017 he became manager of Glebe. He left the club in January 2019 by mutual consent and joined Maidstone United as first team coach. On 22 May 2019, Aldershot Town announced the appointment of Uddin as assistant manager to manager Danny Searle, whom he had worked alongside at West Ham's academy, following a coaching role at Maidstone United. In February 2024, Uddin was appointed assistant manager of Ebbsfleet United following a successful…

Uddin was born and brought up in Stepney, London to a Bangladeshi father and an English mother. He attended Raine's Foundation School in Bethnal Green. His father came to the United Kingdom in the 1960s. Anwar has three sisters and two brothers.

In 2002, Anwar dated glamour model Leilani Dowding. He now lives in Kent and has two sons, Kai and Jayden. Anwar is the diversity and inclusion manager at the FA. in the East and South-East of England. He has a full-time role with the Football Supporters' Federation as Diversity and Campaigns Manager in partnership with Kick It Out.