Huddersfield Town's Adnan Ahmed has spoken about his family's support in helping him to get where he is.

Adnan featured in his sides FA cup tie against Premiership champions Chelsea and although the League One side went down 2-1 they left with their heads held high.

We last featured Adnan on these pages back in 1999 when he was a sprightly teenager on the books at Manchester United.

He had the chance to sign for Burnley on his release from Manchester United, but was attracted to the Academy set-up at Huddersfield and what it had to offer.

Burnley didnt have an Academy, and I felt it would be better to go somewhere that did," said Ahmed, who admits he was drawn to what the club had to offer outside of football in terms of education and life skills.

Clearly, he is not your average professional footballer and seems to have avoided some of the trappings that come with such a status.

Instead of the egotistical air that some footballers give off, he is a refreshingly pleasant character, initiating general conversation in which is seems genuinely interested. His dress is smart-casual but not over-stated.

And then theres his culture that makes him stand out from the rest.

Ahmed, who went to Moorland High School in Clitheroe, is among only a handful of Asian footballers who have broken onto the professional circuit, along with Michael Chopra, Harpal Singh and Zesh Rehman.

And he admits he is surprised by the slow rate at which his peers are emerging in the game.

However, he is beginning to see a gradual change.

I dont think about the fact that Im Asian. Some people would. I just think about playing football, and if I do become a role model, thats fine, he said.

For me, I just try to do things as well as I can.

Culturally, there is a big difference for Asian kids to get into football. Most parents are more concerned with education.

But they are realising what part sport has to play in society.

Any Asian kids that want to get into football need to start playing in Sunday League teams instead of just playing with their mates because thats where theyll get seen. Otherwise theyre not giving themselves a chance. They are just playing within themselves.

Ahmed is preaching what he practised. Encouraged by brother Majid, he joined Salterforth when he was 11, moved to Barrowford shortly afterwards before signing for Bury schoolboys then quickly progressing to Manchester United.

One of his team-mates there was Alex Bruce, son of United legend Steve, who was manager of Huddersfield when Ahmed joined their Academy aged 16.

A succession of injuries hampered his progress through the ranks. First a stress fracture of his back, then a similar problem with his shin. And after breaking into the first team under current boss Peter Jackson last season, this term got off to a late start for Ahmed as he needed three months to recover from tendonitis after putting his body through too much in the summer.

In pre-season I was doing a lot of work by myself because I wanted to get stronger," said the midfielder, who made his Huddersfield debut in a 1-1 draw at Rochdale in 2003.

"But I came back last month and have played a few games.

"When you're injured, it's the worst thing. And the ones I had when I was an apprentice hampered my career a bit in a sense. But sometimes these things are a blessing in disguise because it makes you take a step back and re-think things.

"It worked in my favour because it made me a stronger person. It made me grateful for what I do and to appreciate things more."

His family ethics clearly have a positive effect on such a philosophical outlook.

Im really blessed by the support of my family," said Ahmed, who also has a sister Ghazala and other brother, Imran.

We are a close-knit family and they will all be there today. They come to nearly every game.

But Im quite religious too, which helps me to keep my ego down and take each day at a time."

And, still living with his parents in Barnoldswick, he clearly values his home comforts.

"Huddersfield's quite a big club and I do get recognised quite a lot over there, so it's good for me to come back," he said.

Should his dream of scoring the winner against Chelsea today come true, such local anonymity may be a thing of the past.

Especially if he bends it like Beckham!