Welcome to Dev's Digest, the agenda-setting Sky Sports column where Dev Trehan delivers exclusive news and reflects key developments for British South Asians in Football.

Mal Benning will be recognised with the football pioneer accolade at this month's Asian Football Awards, Sky Sports News can exclusively reveal. Last season, on Valentine's Day, Benning made the 500th professional appearance of his career, a feat very few British South Asians have achieved in English football.

Benning broke through as a teenager under Dean Smith at Walsall during the 2012/13 season and had a loan spell at York City before joining Mansfield Town in 2015. 'Sir Mal' earned legendary status, scoring against Mansfield's bitter rivals Chesterfield in April 2018, making over 250 appearances before joining Port Vale in 2021.

Benning's best moment came against Mansfield in the League Two play-off final at Wembley, scoring in a 3-0 win. He told Sky Sports: "I don't care that it's me - but for the Sikh community, as well as South Asians in football, that was a massive step." Co-commentator Jobi McAnuff praised him as a pioneer flying the flag for many years.