Colin Sheridan: Anwar El Ghazi has been utterly abandoned by football

Anwar El Ghazi may not win too many awards at Cardiff City, but by staying true to what he believes in with literally no support from his peers, he has proven himself a footballer far more deserving of our respect

STANDING TALL: Cardiff's Anwar El Ghazi at the Swansea.com Stadium. Pic: Athena Pictures/Getty Images

Given the outrageous odds of making it as a professional footballer, Anwar El Ghazi has had a pretty successful career so far. The Dutch winger has had spells at Ajax, Lille, Aston Villa, Everton, PSV and Mainz 05 in Germany. 

Earlier this month, after almost a year away from football, he signed for Championship side Cardiff City. It amounts to about 240 senior club appearances, almost all earned in the Premier League, the Eredivisie and the Bundesliga. The 29-year-old has also bagged 53 senior goals and been capped twice for the Netherlands. He may not be Marc Overmars, but he’s not Kevin Kilbane, either.