With an Indian team touring England at the moment and a visit by Pakistan to these shores earlier this year, Asian football is currently under the spotlight.

But, despite research indicating that football is extremely popular with Asian youngsters in Britain, there are few professional players from the community.

Chris Dolby was the first Asian footballer to make it in the Football League, although his success was limited.

He is currently a coach at Rotherham, after spending three years there as a pro, but he spent most of his playing career as a semi-professional.

At the moment, the most successful footballer from an Asian background is Bhaichung Bhutia, the captain of India who plays for Bury. However, his career began in India, not Britain.

Although a number of clubs, including West Ham, have launched initiatives to attract young Asian players into the game, the schemes have not yet borne fruit.

This two-part series investigates why there are so few Asians making it in professional football and what can be done to remedy the situation.