| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Islam Salieh Feruz[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1995-09-10)10 September 1995 (age 30) | ||
| Place of birth | Kismaayo,Somalia[citation needed] | ||
| Height | 1.62 m (5 ft 4 in) | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2011 | Celtic | ||
| 2011–2014 | Chelsea | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2014–2019 | Chelsea | 0 | (0) |
| 2014 | →OFI (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2015 | →Blackpool (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | →Hibernian (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | →Royal Excel Mouscron (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2017 | →Swindon Town (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2023 | Radnički Niš | 0 | (0) |
| 2025 | Dubai City | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2009–2010 | Scotland U16 | 3 | (1) |
| 2009–2012 | Scotland U17 | 18 | (7) |
| 2012 | Scotland U19 | 5 | (3) |
| 2012 | Scotland U20 | 1 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | Scotland U21 | 4 | (2) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 14 August 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 20 November 2013 (UTC)[2] | |||
Islam Salieh Feruz (born 10 September 1995) is a professionalfootballer who played as acentre forward. Born in Somalia, he represented Scotland at youth level.
Feruz spent most of his youth career withCeltic, before moving to Chelsea in September 2011 after rejecting a professional contract with the Scottish club. He never made a competitive appearance for the Chelsea first team, having mostly represented the team atU21 levels. He had loan spells atOFI,Blackpool,Hibernian,Royal Excel Mouscron andSwindon Town, but these were all brief and unsuccessful. His contract with Chelsea expired in 2019.
Feruz is a naturalised citizen of theUnited Kingdom. He declared in 2009 that he would play for theScotland national football team, and represented the country at several youth levels. In April 2020, it was reported that Feruz had given up football to set up a company selling baseball caps. In August 2023 Feruz signed a contract withRadnički Niš[3] only to be released two months later without making a single appearance.
Feruz was born inSomalia.[citation needed] He was raised by his mother Aisha and stepfather Albashir Ali. He has three sisters: Kauthar, Ethil and Rahma.Wales Online andThe Scottish Sun indicate that there is some uncertainty about his childhood and background.[4]
The family lived inTanzania before emigrating directly to the UK.[5][6]
The family initially moved to London when Feruz was aged five, before later re-locating toGlasgow.[7][8] There, he attendedHillhead High School, one of the most racially diverse secondary schools in Scotland.[9] He and his family originally lived in a high-rise flat inCastlemilk, but Feruz later moved them to an upscale area in Glasgow'sCharing Cross.
At age 10,Celtic fan Feruz was discovered byCeltic youth coach John Simpson while playing a kickabout at Castlemilk Sports Centre,[10] and joinedCeltic's youth academy.[7] Feruz was playing in Celtic's under-14 team at age 11. The team's managerJohn Sludden said that after only 20 minutes he could tell Feruz was a special player and compared his talent to that ofPaul McStay,Charlie Nicholas andAiden McGeady.[11] When Feruz was aged 12, he and his family were threatened with deportation back to his country of birth.[12] Celtic youth coachTommy Burns successfully campaigned for them to be able stay in Scotland,[13] and for the Feruzes to be granted British passports.[14]
Feruz's first match for Celtic came in 2009 when, aged 14, he made an appearance in Tommy Burns' memorial match. At the start of the2011–12 season, there was speculation that Feruz was going to leave the club forChelsea. Celtic managerNeil Lennon said in August that he had not seen the player since the start of the season. He also expressed his disappointment that a player who Celtic had helped to stay in the country and moved into an expensive flat was possibly going to leave the club. However, he did not blame Feruz but his agents, who he felt were "badly advising" the player, for the situation.[8][15]
Feruz moved to EnglishPremier League clubChelsea in September 2011, after rejecting a professional contract at Celtic.[16] Because of "a flaw in the legal system" Chelsea were able to sign him for only £300,000 compensation. His contract was reportedly worth £2,500 a week.[17]He scored two goals in the2012 FA Youth Cup first leg in April 2012[18] as Chelsea youths went on to win the trophy for the second time in three years.[19]
Chelsea's official website described Feruz in early 2013 as "short but sharp with an electric turn of pace and able to get a shot in early."[20]
Feruz scored two goals in Chelsea's 6–0 win overMolde FK on 8 November 2012 in theNextGen Series.[21]
Feruz made his Chelsea first team debut against aMalaysia League XI on 21 July 2013, coming on as a substitute in the 32nd minute forKevin De Bruyne,[22] but after half time he was replaced byAndré Schürrle.[23]
In January 2014, he signed a new long-term contract with Chelsea.[24] Feruz was released by Chelsea on the final day of the January 2019 transfer window, after several brief unsuccessful spells out on loan at other clubs, and without ever making a competitive first team appearance for Chelsea.[25]
On 29 August 2014, Feruz agreed to joinFC Krylia Sovetov,[26] but ended the loan just 48 hours after agreeing to the move to the Russian side because of being homesick.[27]
After cancelling his move to Russia, on 1 September 2014, Feruz signed a season-loan deal withSuper League Greece club OFI, managed byGennaro Gattuso.[28] Twelve days later he made his only league appearance for the team, replacingMayron George for the final 28 minutes of a 3–0 defeat toOlympiacos at theKaraiskakis Stadium.[29] On 24 September he made his first career start in a 1–1Greek Football Cup away draw atZakynthos, being replaced byAndreas Lampropoulos after 62 minutes.[30] His only other game was also in the Cup group stages, starting at theTheodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium in a 1–0 win overSkoda Xanthi on 30 October and making way for eventual goalscorer George at half time.[31]
After training withChampionship sideCardiff City earlier that month,[32] on 16 January 2015, Feruz joined another team in that division,Blackpool, for the remainder of the season.[33] He made his Blackpool debut in a 2–0 defeat away toWolverhampton Wanderers the following day, replacingSteve Davies for the final eight minutes at theMolineux Stadium.[34] A week later he made the only other appearance of his loan, again replacing Davies at the same point in a 7–2 defeat toWatford atVicarage Road.[35] Following a 4–0 defeat againstBrentford, Feruz tweeted that "This team take more kick-offs than corners".[36] He returned to Chelsea shortly afterwards, having only played a total of 16 minutes whilst on loan.[36] Blackpool ended the season with relegation toLeague One.[37]
On 1 September 2015, Feruz signed a season-loan deal withScottish Championship clubHibernian.[38][39] He made his debut seven days later, coming on as a 72nd-minute substitute forLiam Henderson during a 3–0 win atEaster Road againstAlloa Athletic.[40] Feruz failed to make an impact at Hibs and his loan was terminated on 14 January 2016 after the player had made just six substitute appearances in his time at the club.[41]
In February 2016, Feruz went on trial withKazakhstan Premier League sideFC Aktobe. He lasted a day at the club's warm-weather training camp in Turkey before leaving again.[42]
On 31 August 2016, Feruz joined Wallonian Belgian sideExcel Mouscron on a season-long loan.[43] Ten days later, he made his debut in thefirst division of Belgium in a 5–1 home defeat againstZulte Waregem, replacingSimon Diedhiou in the 70th minute.[44] On 7 January 2017, after a disappointing loan spell, Feruz returned to Chelsea.[45]
On 11 January 2017, Feruz joinedSwindon Town on loan for the remainder of the2016–17 campaign.[46] Three days later, Feruz made his Swindon Town debut in their 2–1 victory overBolton Wanderers, featuring for 60 minutes before being replaced byJermaine Hylton.[47] On 28 February 2017, Feruz was fined £3,000 after he was caught driving an £80,000 Porsche whilst disqualified.[48] He only played four competitive games, and failed to score in any of them.[49]
In April 2020, it was reported that Feruz had given up football to set up a company selling baseball caps.[50]
Although he was born abroad and has no Scottish heritage, Feruz is able to play for Scotland under thenew school qualification rule, which allows players with five years of education in a country before the age of 18 to play for that country's national football team. In 2009, Feruz declared that he would play for theScotland national team. He was the first footballer to switch to Scotland under this rule,[9] a change inFIFA's guidelines whichScottish Football Association chief executiveGordon Smith had pursued to accommodate players in Feruz's position.[14]
In September 2009, Feruz was called up to theScotland under-17 team at only 14 years of age.[51] He scored on his debut againstCyprus. In April 2012, he was called up to theScotland under-21 team aged 16, for a match againstItaly.[52] The cap would make him the youngest player ever to feature for Scotland U21s.[12]
After turning in a poor performance at an Under-20 tournament in the Netherlands in May 2012, Feruz attracted some controversy when hetweeted that he "would love to play in theAfrican Nation Cup! Despite being eligible to play for 2 African countries other than Som :P MyDream!!! :D". According toThe Scotsman, unverified reports suggest that Feruz could play for these two nations due to family connections.[14] His Twitter account was closed on 29 May, following "encouragement for him to do so from Chelsea."[14]
On 14 October 2012, Feruz scored a hat-trick for theScotland Under-19 team in a 4–3 victory againstSwitzerland, with Scotland winning their qualification group.[53] Speaking after that game, Scottish FA performance chiefMark Wotte stated his belief that Feruz could be a top striker for the full national team.[54] Stepping up to the U21s again in November 2012, Feruz scored twice for Scotland in a 3–2 defeat away against thePortugal Under-21 side.[55] His last appearance at any level for Scotland was in a friendly match against England U21s on 13 August 2013, where Scotland lost 6–0 and Feruz was substituted after 62 minutes.[56]
On 22 May 2014, after Feruz turned down multiple call ups at youth level it was reported that Feruz had turned his back on representing Scotland, but SFA representatives refused to rule out him returning to the fold in future.[57] In August 2015, Feruz denied having turned his back on Scotland, stating "I've never said I didn't want to be considered for Scotland", adding "Some of the things which have been said about me not wanting to play have been untrue. I want to play for Scotland and I'll be honoured if I'm selected. I'm proud to have played for the national team at different age groups."[58]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| OFI (loan) | 2014–15 | Superleague Greece | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| Blackpool (loan) | 2014–15 | Championship | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |
| Hibernian (loan) | 2015–16 | Scottish Championship | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Excel Mouscron (loan) | 2016–17 | Belgian First Division A | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| Swindon Town (loan) | 2016–17 | League One | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Career total | 20 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | ||
In 2010, Feruz was awarded theYoung Scot Sport Award. The prize annually recognises youngsters between the ages of 12 and 22 who have contributed positively to communities in Scotland.[5]
