“Manchester City” club published on its social media page an article about the young footballer Abdukodir Khusanov, who quickly won the hearts of the team's fans, enriched with previously unpublished information, family photos and memories of those who knew him best. “Zamin” edition presents this article about our compatriot to you in full.
Through never-before-published family photos and memories of those who knew him best, we take a look at the journey of the young footballer who has taken a place in the hearts of Manchester City fans...
Five days. In such a short time, Abdukodir Khusanov became a Manchester City player and celebrated his debut in the match against Chelsea.
The young defender's rapid rise to the first team, aged just 20, was due to a defensive crisis at the club, with Pep Guardiola forced to bring in an inexperienced player with just 31 senior appearances and a poor command of English.
Less than three minutes into his debut, Khusanov's poor pass caused problems for goalkeeper Ederson, who was then taken advantage of by Nicolas Jackson, who passed the ball to Noni Madueke to give Chelsea a 1-0 lead.
Less than a minute later, the first Uzbek player to make his Premier League debut was booked for a foul.
Photo: Manchester City
Any true football fan watching these events would have sensed Khusanov's state of mind. As the cameras zoomed in on his face, millions of viewers must have felt as if the ground had opened up and he wanted to sink into it.
Things could have gotten worse, but they didn't. With the help of his teammates, coach and fans, he pulled himself together, got back into the game and continued with determination. When he was replaced by John Stones in the 54th minute, the stadium erupted in thunderous applause.
If there's one thing City fans need to know about the young defender from Tashkent, it's that he's resilient and has a true fighter at heart.
Photo: Manchester City
A week later, he was a substitute against Arsenal. The following week, he came on in the second half against Leyton Orient and scored his first goal for City. After that, he fought hard in front of the fans, who cheered him on.
Five weeks later, Khusanov has been playing at a high level, coming up against stars such as Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak, Son Heung-min and Chris Wood, and proving worthy opponents for them. He was also named Etihad Player of the Month.
It was a great start to his life at City. The fans looked up to him with great respect and accepted him as an Uzbek fighter.
Photo: Manchester City
Of course, it's all in the early stages. He needs time to fully understand and develop his game, but many are starting to see that this Uzbek talent is a real gem for Manchester City. Those close to him call him "Kadir"... and this is the story of his journey to the Etihad!
A new, but still unrecognized talent...
Not many people knew much about Abdukodir Khusanov until he moved to Manchester City in January 2025.
When football teams sign players from abroad, YouTube becomes a real source of inspiration for fans. Users try to find videos about the player they are looking for.
Those who have found Khusanov's videos would have seen that he is a fast player who moves hard and accurately, who really loves defending. He is simply a defender who loves defending more than anything else.
But he still has very little experience in senior football. Since the country he comes from is not very well known for football, he could be linked with Manchester City, but it is difficult to believe. Only if the club is buying a player for the future, this transfer would make sense.
Will a player from a country that is so young and still emerging on the international football scene really join the ranks of the English champions? To answer this question, we need to look back at his early days in Tashkent...
"Football is in his blood..."
Abduqodir Khusanov is the son of former Uzbekistan national team player Hikmatjon Khoshimov. Some may wonder why Abdukodir did not take his father's surname.
Abduqadir Khusanov's childhood
Photo: Manchester City
Photo: Manchester City
The reason for this is rooted in Uzbek tradition.
Yosh Khusanov
Photo: Manchester City
In Uzbekistan, it is customary for fathers to give their children surnames in honor of their grandfathers. Since Abdukodir's grandfather was named Khusanov, his father gave him the surname Khusanov. This is a tradition that is still widespread in Uzbekistan today.
Young Abdukodir Khusanov and former footballer Hikmat Khoshimov
Photo: Manchester City
First steps into football as a child
Abdukodir took his first steps in football at Bunyodkor, one of the strongest football academies in the country. Outside of Uzbekistan, Bunyodkor is best known for the legendary Brazilian footballer Rivaldo, who scored 42 goals in 72 games for the club in 2008-2010.
Photo: Manchester City
“Khusanov came to Bunyodkor when he was seven years old,” says his first coach, Sergey Chigodaev.
Photo: Manchester City
“He had incredible speed even then – he could outrun players a year or two older than him. Speed is very important in football because it comes naturally. Speed is not easy to improve through training.”
Photo: Manchester City
For several years, Khusanov played alongside players older than him. He played for a team of players born in 2002-2003, although he himself was born on February 29, 2004. Therefore, Chigodaev emphasizes, Khusanov, despite being physically smaller, developed very quickly. He had no choice but to be the youngest player in the team.
Abdukodir's younger brother Abdurahim Khusanov and Hikmat Khoshimov
Photo: Manchester City
“It was clear from childhood that Abdukodir had great talent,” says Chigodaev.
Photo: Manchester City
“But talent must be properly developed. You can't achieve great things in football with talent alone. Khusanov has talent, hard work, discipline and the right upbringing. When I told him what to do on the field, he would do it without hesitation.”
“Abdukodir never argued, he was always very humble. However, when he went on the field, sparks came out of him! He never gave up, even to those who were older than him.”
“No matter how much success he achieved, Abdukodir always remained humble and well-mannered. Whether he played for Lens or now for Manchester City has not affected his personality in any way.”
“A shining talent…”
At the age of 17, Khusanov went to Belarus, to the Energetik-BGU club. There, he spent a year only attending training sessions and playing in friendlies, waiting until he turned 18. In March 2022, he made his debut for the “Students” (Energetik-BGU’s nickname).
Kadir – in 2019
Abdukodir immediately became one of the team's main players. In his first season, he played in 27 of 30 matches and played full-time in the starting lineup in almost all of them. He also scored three goals and four assists - not bad for a central defender.
He also took penalties and scored from free kicks.
In the summer of 2022, Khusanov was called up to the Uzbekistan U20 national team.
Before that, he only played for the U17 team. By March 2023, Khusanov had become one of the leaders of the Uzbek youth team, and together with his compatriots he won the FIFA U-20 Asian Cup in Tashkent.
Uzbekistan U-20 team
Photo: Manchester City
He played every match in the tournament and helped the team win. Interestingly, it all happened at the Bunyodkor Stadium, where his football career began. Two months later, Khusanov went to the FIFA U-20 World Cup with the Uzbek team.
Every top player has a turning point in his career, and Khusanov is no exception.
The FIFA U-20 World Cup was originally scheduled to be held in Indonesia, but shortly before the tournament began, the host country announced its boycott. As a result, the tournament was moved to Argentina, and Uzbekistan faced the new hosts in the group stage.
A new star is born. U-20 World Cup
Photo: Manchester City
Scouts from European clubs had come mainly to watch the home team's talented players - Maximino Perrone, Valentin Carboni and Mathias Sule. However, despite the 2-1 defeat, Abdukodir Khusanov caught their attention.
A scout from the French club Lens was very impressed with his performance. Representatives of Manchester United and several other European clubs also expressed interest in his talent.
A scout from an English Premier League club even contacted Khusanov's agent, Gayrat Khasbiullin, and informed him that his team would be a good fit for the player, but the transfer did not materialize.
Lessons in France...
A few weeks after the end of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, Abdukodir Khusanov moved to Lens. At a presentation ceremony dedicated to him, the French club declared him "an unstoppable talent from Asia." The transfer fee was 100,000 euros - it was not a large sum, but it turned out to be a very profitable and wise investment for the Ligue 1 club.
Life at Lens - Kadyr's contract with the Ligue 1 club
"We studied Khusanov carefully before the transfer," says Lens head coach Frank Heise. "I saw him not as a 19-year-old, but as a 25-year-old experienced player. He was already acting like a mature and experienced player. We saw what he was capable of in training. He surprised us with his technique and physical strength. We have other young players, but Khusanov was always distinguished by his composure."
It was a period of rapid change for the young 19-year-old defender.
In the summer of 2023, Khusanov was called up to the Uzbekistan national team for the first time.
After his debut against Oman, he consolidated his place in the starting lineup and has played 18 games for the national team to date.
In his first season at Lens, Kadyr played 15 games.
Although he was not a regular starter, he was confident and determined every time he came on the field. The famous French sports publication L'Equipe included him in the symbolic Ligue 1 team of the week several times.
In the summer of 2024, Khusanov became an important player for Lens.
At that time, it was expected that Austrian defender Kevin Danzo would transfer to Roma, but this deal did not materialize due to medical problems. As a result, Danzo returned to Lens, but could not play due to the treatment. Khusanov still had little experience, but his coach showed confidence in him - and he justified this confidence.
In October 2024, Khusanov was recognized as the best young player in Ligue 1.
According to the results of the first half of the 2024/2025 season, with 16 games and one assist, he was included in the best team of the current season in Ligue 1.
By this time, Manchester City had shown serious interest in him. In the January 2025 transfer window, City moved quickly and signed him ahead of a number of competing clubs. This transfer is already being considered a very successful deal.
Khusanov's path is different from that of most players who come to the Premier League.
As the first Uzbek player to play in the Premier League, his every move is watched by millions of fans who support their country. If there are other talented youngsters like Khusanov in Uzbekistan, he could be the first, but not the last.
A fierce fighter on the pitch, a humble and quiet man off it - City fans can look forward to the start of a remarkable career.
Author: David Clayton
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