Football Player Nathan Ellington Reverts To Islam!

 Football Player Nathan Ellington Reverts To Islam!

Ellington was a “non-practising Christian” until two major influences on his life reshaped his views three years ago. His brother Jason adopted the faith. And then Ellington met his future wife, Alma.

This British soccer player first learned about Islam in 2004. With two of the most important people in his life following Islam, Nathan then explored and accepted Islam for himself. Alhumdulillah. I first learned about Islam when I was researching my post Fast or Be Fast: Muslim Athletes During Ramadan. That had opened my heart to Islam.

I pray five times a day, the boys call me beardo I’ll live with it.

Nathan Ellington wore a T-shirt to training last week. It bore the message: ‘I’m Muslim, don’t panic.’

Watford’s £3.25 million striker will not wear it for the cameras, much to our photographer’s disappointment. It was his little joke, but he worries that to be pictured wearing it in a national newspaper might cause unintended offence.

I’m a believer: Ellington fits his five prayer times around training

Twenty years ago, the idea of a Muslim footballer would almost have been fanciful. But in the modern game, the potpourri of nationalities drawn to these shores means it is not only inevitable, but the trend is growing.

In the Premier League, Mo Sissoko, Hameur Bouazza, Diomansy Kamara and Nicolas Anelka all follow Islam, as does, rumour has it, Robin van Persie.

“I’m a practising Muslim,” he said. “And I told the manager Aidy Boothroyd that before I signed. I had a few moments with him to explain what I have to do. I explained that because it’s seen as being different. He didn’t have a problem with it. If he had, I don’t know what I’d have done.

“It hasn’t caused me any problems so far, because you are encouraged to rest. I pray five times a day. Before dawn, in the afternoon, mid-afternoon, sunset and then before I go to bed. So I can fit it in around training. If I had to train all day, I’d ask for five minutes to myself.

“I’ve got a prayer mat. The manager wouldn’t have a problem with that, either. He’d respect the fact it was something I needed to do. The boys have a joke about it. I suppose frailties or abnormalities is the the worst I’ve been called is ‘Beardo’. I can live with that.”

If anyone had made that jibe at Micky Droy, Chelsea’s hirsute hardman of the 1970s, they would probably have been on the end of a right-hander.

These days, in the dressing room, picking on perceived norm. If you can take it, then you are accepted.

At one club, a player was nicknamed ‘Bomber’ just because he was a Muslim.

Ellington said: “Some people would think that was funny, but it’s not funny to joke about that. There are bigger issues out there. People lost their lives, loved ones. There’s a line to be drawn.

“Anyway, it’s not the religion, it’s the people. The religion itself doesn’t teach you anything bad. Islam encourages you to find fault with it. It wants you to investigate it, but I haven’t found any faults yet. It does not teach you to be a bad person.”

“You know, there is evil in other religions. Christianity, for example. It’s not the religion that is bad. It’s the people. That’s what you’ve got to understand.

“Perhaps there is a lack of knowledge out there. I don’t know how much some of the other lads know. If they wanted to talk to me about it, I’d be happy to share it with them. They’ve just got to ask.”

“Honestly, it hasn’t affected my football. I’ve not encountered any prejudice through my religion. I’ve not suffered racist abuse, but I’ve had team-mates who have.”

As long as I please my Creator and put Him first then He will put the satisfaction of me into the hearts of people.Alhumdulillah for Islam!

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