Zesh Rehman had no easy ride growing up in a Birmingham council estate.

There was nobody for a young Asian lad to look up to; nowhere to turn for inspiration.

Rehman was one of the lucky ones. He realised his boyhood ambitions to become a professional footballer. But a lot of others in the same situation are not so lucky.

That is the thinking behind the Zesh Rehman Foundation, a scheme he is championing to improve the lives of disadvantaged children through football.

Rehman’s hard work within the Bradford community has been acknowledged by his appointment as City’s club captain. Now the defender is ready to expand his horizons with other projects set up in London and the West Midlands.

He said: “When I made my Premier League debut for Fulham aged 21, I was bombarded by youngsters that saw me as a role model. So the idea probably started then.

“At that stage I wasn’t ready to take anything further because it was so early in my career. But now I’ve been around six clubs and played over 150 games in all the divisions, it feels the right time.

“I would have loved it if there had been something like this around when I was growing up.

“But there was no Asian player to look up to at the time and nowhere really to go. You were left to your own devices, playing on the street and in gardens.

“I remember seeing plenty of talented kids forced away from football and into crime through no fault of their own. I just hope I can stop some youngsters falling into the same trap.

“It’s about feeling good about yourself through sport. It’s not just football but hopefully inspiring youngsters to become better people.”

Rehman stressed that while he wants to promote football within the Asian community, the Foundation will be open to all. The first project should be up and running in September.

“My main aim is really just to help youngsters any way I can,” he said.

“Even if they don’t make a career out of football, if I can help a kid to get into sport or learn how to eat healthily then that will be a bonus.

“I’ve got a great team behind me to take the burden off my shoulders. There are four of them who cover everything; meetings, organising programmes and running the workshops.

“I want to stress that this will not take away from my football. My main priority is my job, as it always has been.

“Obviously the community work is important but football will always come first and trying to give 100 per cent on that pitch. That’s why I will leave the day-to-day running of the foundation to the others.”

Co-founders Gary Stannett and Otis Roberts, nephew of Blackburn striker Jason, will be at the forefront. But Rehman believes his personal experiences can act as a spur for the youngsters they will work with.

He said: “There are times in football when it’s difficult and I’ve had some challenges in my career. It’s a test to get through those situations.

“But my inspiration has been the kids and thinking about what you can achieve.

“As a footballer you get a lot of spare time. There’s no better investment in your time than in people and that’s what I’m trying to do.”