Cardiff City striker Yousef Salech has revealed that the happiness he feels on the pitch is overshadowed by the anguish of watching war devastate the land of his father’s birth.
Salech, 23, is the only current player in either the Premier League or EFL with direct Palestinian roots.
Born in Denmark, he is the son of a Jordanian Palestinian father, and although his own upbringing has been far from the Middle East, the conflict in Gaza remains painfully close.
Salech has made a big impact since moving to Cardiff, with nine goals in the second half of last season, despite relegation from the Championship.
He has added another to that tally this season and helped the Bluebirds - who host Cheltenham Town in the second round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night - to the top of League One.
But with more than 60,000 deaths estimated since the beginning of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, and the United Nations warning of widespread starvation, Salech admits football feels secondary.
“I'm the only one in my family who really concentrates on my football right now,” he said.
“Of course, they love me as their son or brother or family member.
“But, obviously, it's hard, but I think it's hard for everyone in the world.”
While his father no longer lives in Palestine, he was born there, and the family’s story is still bound to the region.
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That connection makes focusing on his own career – which included 20 goals last season – a constant challenge.
“I wish I could do more. I wish I could change more,” Salech admits.
“Conflicts or problems are happening in many parts of the world, not only where my family are from.
“I'm trying to do the best I can, both on the pitch as a football player, that's who I am, but also outside the pitch and I’m trying to support whoever needs it in the world.
“Everyone knows what is going on right now, so it's just terrible.”
The forward’s reflections come at a time when other leading players with Middle Eastern heritage have also spoken out.
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Just last month, Liverpool star Mohamed Salah criticised UEFA for the way it commemorated the death of former Palestine international Suleiman al-Obeid.
Nicknamed the “Palestinian Pelé,” al-Obeid was killed in southern Gaza while waiting for humanitarian aid, according to the Palestine Football Association.
UEFA’s social media post mourned a player who “gave hope to countless children,” but failed to mention the circumstances of his death.
Salah’s response was blunt: “Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?”
The Egyptian international has long shown solidarity with civilians in Gaza, donating to the Egyptian Red Crescent in 2021 and using his platform to call for compassion during the conflict.
Salech’s voice does not carry the same global reach as Salah’s, especially with Cardiff now in League One after relegation last season.
But both men are striving to keep attention on a humanitarian crisis.
