Their presence stirred whispers among the journalists as they entered the stadium. Who are they? Why are they here before everyone else? Within minutes the answer spread through the media pack: they had flown in from Leicester City — only for Hamza Choudhury.

Soon after, the team bus rolled in. Hamza stepped down, spotted the pair instantly and broke into a warm, knowing smile. He walked over, exchanging greetings like old friends reunited in a faraway land. Only then were their identities confirmed — Daniel Taggett, Leicester City’s video producer, and Jay Pateman, from the club’s security team. They had landed in Dhaka that very morning, slept barely a couple of hours, and rushed straight to see the world Hamza had always told them about.

Dan explained their mission with gentle excitement, “We’ve come to Bangladesh to film a documentary on Hamza. We shot the England part already. Now we’ll be here for four days. This will go on Leicester City’s YouTube channel in about a month.”

But what struck them most was not the shoot — it was the overwhelming emotion surrounding Hamza. Dan admitted, “It’s very good to see how famous he is here. Hamza told me, but I didn’t really expect it to this level.”

The surprise only grew. As the media crowded the touchline with dozens of cameras, both Dan and Jay stood visibly astonished. Training sessions in England were never like this. And outside the stadium, fans were already waiting — some in Leicester jerseys, some waving flags — just to see Hamza walking in. When journalists told Dan that tickets for the India match had sold out in four minutes, he reacted instantly, “That’s crazy.”

For Dan, experiencing this firsthand was the real purpose of their trip, “Yeah, it’s to see what Bangladesh is like, see the reaction to Hamza… to give people a glimpse of what it’s like over here.”

Jay, tall and quietly observant, added his own heartfelt note about Hamza. He had known him since his early teens, long before the fame. “He’s always been cheerful, always friendly. And he has that relationship with everyone at the club.”

By sunset, it was clear to the Leicester duo that they hadn’t just come to film a player.

They had stepped into Hamza’s second home — a place where he is not just a footballer, but a feeling.