Ajay Kumar: Creating a new article

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{{Short description|Indian football player}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Mohammed Azhar
| caption =
| image_size =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2003|01|20|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Lakshadweep]], India
| height = 1.73 m
| position = [[Central midfielder]], [[Defensive midfielder]], [[Defender (association football)#Full-back|Right back]]
| currentclub = [[Kerala Blasters FC|Kerala Blasters]]
| clubnumber = 32
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Don Bosco FA
| youthyears2 = 2018–2022
| youthclubs2 = [[Kerala Blasters FC|Kerala Blasters]]
| years1 = 2022–
| clubs1 = [[Kerala Blasters FC Reserves and Academy|Kerala Blasters Reserves]]
| caps1 = 7
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2022–
| clubs2 = [[Kerala Blasters FC|Kerala Blasters]]
| caps2 = 0
| goals2 = 0
| club-update =
| ntupdate =
| nationalyears1 =
| nationalteam1 =
}}

'''Mohammed Azhar''' (born 20 January 2003) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a [[Midfielder|midfielder]] for the [[Indian Super League]] club [[Kerala Blasters FC|Kerala Blasters]]. He is the twin brother of [[Mohammed Aimen]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Kerala Blasters academy graduates Aimen & Azhar to join Polish club Rakow Czestochowa for training |url=https://khelnow.com/football/2022-11-indian-football-isl-kerala-blasters-academy-graduates-mohammed-aimen-azhar-join-rakow-czestochowa |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=Khel Now |language=English}}</ref>

==Club career==
===Kerala Blasters===
====Youth and early career====
Azhar joined the [[Kerala Blasters FC Reserves and Academy|Kerala Blasters Academy]] in 2018 at the age of fifteen, along with his twin brother Aimen, after a short spell in the Don Bosco football academy. The twins had moved to [[Kerala]] from [[Lakshadweep]] for their schooling and attended the [[Kerala Blasters FC Reserves and Academy|Kerala Blasters U-15]] trials, getting selected in the process. Azhar came up through the ranks along with his brother and played for the under-15 and under-18 teams of Kerala Blasters.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Santhosh |first=Aswathy |date=2022-11-19 |title=Kerala Blasters twins set to fly to Poland for three-week training |url=https://thebridge.in/football/kerala-blasters-twins-set-fly-poland-training-37326 |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=thebridge.in |language=en}}</ref> He eventually played for the Kerala Blasters in the [[2022 Reliance Foundation Development League|2022 RFDL]]. He played 3 games in the tournament, which was held from 2022 April to May, where the team emerged as the runners-up and qualified for the [[Next Gen Cup]]. Azhar then played for the side in the Next Gen Cup held in [[United Kingdom]] in July 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Kerala Blasters announce squad for Next Gen Cup 2022 |url=https://khelnow.com/football/next-gen-cup-2022-kerala-blasters-announce-squad |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=Khel Now |language=English}}</ref>

====2022–2023: Rise to the first team====
In August 2022, with the first team preparing for the [[2022–23 Indian Super League|2022–23 Indian Super League season]] in [[United Arab Emirates|UAE]], Kerala Blasters fielded their reserves for the [[2022 Durand Cup]], where Azhar was included in the squad.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-17 |title=Kerala Blasters announces 21-man squad for Durand Cup |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/kerala-blasters-durand-cup-21-man-squad-premier-league-next-gen-cup/article65778890.ece |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=sportstar.thehindu.com |language=en}}</ref> He played the entire 90 minutes in all the five games and made two assists, which includes one to his own brother in the competition.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-08-27 |title=Aimen's brace blasts Kerala past NorthEast United |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/football/aimens-brace-blasts-kerala-past-northeast-united/article65819290.ece |access-date=2023-08-21 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Azhar was then promoted to the club's senior team ahead of the [[2022–23 Kerala Blasters FC season|2022–23 season]] along with Aimen, to train with the first team on a developmental role during the [[2022–23 Indian Super League|2022–23 Indian Super League season]]. During the season, he played for the reserve team in the [[2022–23 Kerala Premier League]] and the [[2023 Reliance Foundation Development League|2023 RFDL]]. In November 2022, the twins were sent to Poland for a three week training stint with the Polish top tier club [[Raków Częstochowa|Rakow Czestochowa]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=കേരള ബ്ലാസ്റ്റേഴ്സിന് ആവേശം സമ്മാനിക്കുന്ന വാർത്ത, രണ്ട് താരങ്ങൾ പരിശീലനത്തിനായി പോളണ്ടിലേക്ക്‌ |url=https://malayalam.samayam.com/sports/football/indian-super-league/kerala-blasters-fcs-aimen-and-azhar-to-travel-to-poland-for-training-with-rakoa-czestochowa/articleshow/95784323.cms |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=Samayam Malayalam |language=ml}}</ref>

In April 2023, Azhar was included in the Kerala Blasters squad for the [[2023 Indian Super Cup|2023 Super Cup]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-03 |title=Super Cup 2023: Kerala Blasters announces 29-men squad |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/kerala-blasters-announces-super-cup-2023-squad-kbfc-players-schedule/article66694929.ece |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=sportstar.thehindu.com |language=en}}</ref> He was in the match-day squad for the [[2023 Indian Super Cup group stage#Group A|group stage]] match against [[Bengaluru FC]] on 16 April, where he remained in the bench as an unused substitute.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-16 |title=Bengaluru FC 1-1 Kerala Blasters Highlights: Diamantakos, Roy Krishna score, BFC through to Super Cup 2023 semis |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/bengaluru-fc-vs-kerala-blasters-live-score-bfc-v-kbfc-hero-super-cup-2023-updates-indian-football/article66743849.ece |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=Sportstar |language=en}}</ref>

====2023–present: Contract extension====
On 9 May 2026, Kerala Blasters announced that Azhar has signed a three-year contract extension with the club, that would keep him with them until 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=ISL: Kerala Blasters extend contracts of youngsters Azhar, Aiman and Saheef |url=https://khelnow.com/football/2023-05-isl-kerala-blasters-aimen-azhar-saheef-contract-extension |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=Khel Now |language=English}}</ref> He finally made his official debut for the Blasters senior team on 13 August 2023 in the first group match of [[2023 Durand Cup]] against [[Gokulam Kerala FC|Gokulam Kerala]], which the Blasters lost 3–4, where he played for the entire 90 minutes in the central midfield position.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Desk |first=The Bridge |date=2023-08-13 |title=Twin brothers Aimen, Azhar among 5 locals in Kerala Blasters XI vs Gokulam |url=https://thebridge.in/football/twin-brothers-aimen-azhar-5-locals-kerala-blasters-xi-vs-gokulam-43402 |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=thebridge.in |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Guha |first=Sayantan |date=2023-08-13 |title=Kerala Blasters FC vs Gokulam Kerala FC: Player ratings for the Yellow Army as they fall prey to their arch-rivals in Durand Cup 2023 |url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/indian-football/kerala-blasters-fc-vs-gokulam-kerala-fc-player-ratings-yellow-army-fall-prey-arch-rivals-durand-cup-2023 |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=www.sportskeeda.com |language=en-us}}</ref> Azhar played one more game in the tournament on 21 August against [[Indian Air Force (football team)|Indian Air Force]], where he played majority of the time as a [[Defender (association football)|right back]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-21 |title=Durand Cup 2023: Bidyashagar hat-trick powers Kerala Blasters to 5-0 win over Indian Air Force FT |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/kerala-blasters-vs-indian-air-force-durand-cup-report-score-result-goals-highlights/article67219492.ece |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=Sportstar |language=en}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Azhar's twin brother [[Mohammed Aimen|Aimen]] is also a professional footballer; both twins joined Kerala Blasters academy at the same time in 2018. Born in [[Lakshadweep]], the twins later grew up in [[Kochi]], [[Kerala]], as their father worked at the Lakshadweep Communication in Kochi.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-30 |title=Santosh Trophy: A bunch of fighters from Lakshadweep |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/a-bunch-of-fighters-from-lakshadweep-santosh-trophy/article37775921.ece |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=sportstar.thehindu.com |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==

{{reflist}}

[[Category:2003 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:Kerala Blasters FC Reserves and Academy players]]
[[Category:Indian Super League players]]
[[Category:Kerala Blasters FC players]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Azhar, Mohammed}}{{Kerala Blasters FC squad}}
[[Category:2003 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Mohammed Azhar - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Creating a new article