Muhammad Adil

Muhammad Adil Iqbal is a Pakistani professional footballer who plays as a left winger. He currently plays for the WAPDA football team.

Early life and education

Adil was born on 9 July 1992 in Bahawalpur, Punjab. He began his youth football career with Young Blood FC Bahawalpur. The club supported him from 2004 onwards after they took him to Lahore for under-14 trials. Before he played on the field, Adil worked for several hours as a labourer.

Career

In 2009, Adil signed his first professional contract with Pak Elektron at the age of 18. He scored six goals in 25 appearances during that debut season. His performances attracted Khan Research Laboratories, which signed him permanently for the following season. During his time with KRL, he won three Pakistan Premier League titles and two Challenge Cup titles. In 2011, KRL set a league record by scoring 77 points in a single season.

Adil made his AFC President's Cup debut on 8 May 2012 against Erchim. He played an important role under manager Tariq Lutfi to help the team reach the final of that competition. Although KRL finished as runners-up after losing to Balkan, Adil scored goals against Global and Hilal Al-Quds. He eventually left the Rawalpindi side in 2014 to join the Kyrgyzstani club Dordoi Bishkek. During his tenure in Kyrgyzstan, he helped the team win a treble consisting of the league title, league cup and super cup.

He recorded four goals and six assists in 13 league appearances for Dordoi Bishkek. According to Dawn News, Adil received an offer from a club in the Dutch Eerste Divisie in May 2015. He was also offered a two-year contract by English Championship side Derby County after impressing manager Paul Clement. However, he chose to sign a contract extension with the Kyrgyz side instead. In 2016, he underwent a three-week trial with Pembroke Athleta, but visa issues prevented the move from happening.

Adil returned to Khan Research Laboratories and won the 2016 Pakistan Football Federation Cup. He moved to Australia in 2017 to sign a short-term deal with Hawkesbury City in the NSW League Two. After completing that stint, he returned to KRL and secured the 2018–19 Pakistan Premier League title. He joined WAPDA in January 2020. In 2021, he went on loan to Defenders FC to compete in the Sri Lanka Super League.

Adil earned his first senior international cap for Pakistan on 21 March 2011 against Turkmenistan. He has since earned 26 caps for the national team. His international appearances include the 2012 and 2014 AFC Challenge Cup qualification tournaments, the 2013 SAFF Championship, the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the 2018 SAFF Championship. He also represented Pakistan at various youth levels, including the under-14, under-17, under-19, under-21 and under-23 teams.

Personal life

Adil worked as a fruit and sugarcane seller in the streets of Bahawalpur. He has since begun supporting local youth in Bahawalpur and Multan by training children at Young Blood FC Bahawalpur. He also participated in talent hunts for Global Soccer Ventures alongside former teammate Faisal Iqbal. Adil has expressed an interest in investing in programs that support upcoming footballers.