Ryan Nyambe: Namibia and Blackburn defender on launching an academy aged 23

Blackburn Rovers defender Ryan Nyambe may only be 23 years old but he has already founded his own clothing brand and, more recently, launched a football academy in his native Namibia.

It is a project that he is hoping will unearth talent in his homeland and encourage English clubs to take a chance on young Namibian players.

Born in Katima Mulilo, a town on the banks of the Zambezi, Nyambe now plies his trade in the English Championship at a stadium beside the somewhat calmer waters of the River Darwen.

His road from southern Africa to north west England was made possible by his mother's determination to move to Manchester when he was a child. It is a decision for which he is still grateful today.

"Honestly, if my mum had not taken that step I do not know what my life would look like now," Nyambe tells BBC Sport Africa.

"I'd still be in Namibia and I certainly wouldn't be playing for a big Championship club.

"She left me at home with my aunty and grandma for a while and when she got a job she brought me over when I was 10.

"I always say I didn't get to where I am now by myself, I owe so much to my parents and to the coaches here at Blackburn.

"I've had some big help in my life - I've been taught and nurtured well. That's why I set up the academy, to give back to my country and give opportunities to kids there because at the moment they don't have many."

This article originally appeared on BBC Sport

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