Following the Red Thread;The Beautiful Game

“How much of yourself have you had to erase... just to belong?”

Dhuruv Singh is Chinese by birth, Sikh by blood, and British by passport.

As football fever builds towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he finds himself navigating three cultures, family expectations, friendship, faith and the relentless question of where he truly belongs.

From the rooftops of Chengdu to the football pitches of northern England, a simple red thread follows him across continents and generations. Part family story, part sporting journey and part search for identity, it becomes a guide through the moments that shape a life.

As academy football, school life and questions of belonging begin to collide, Dhuruv discovers that the challenge is not choosing between different parts of himself.

It is learning how to carry them all.

Blending football, migration, friendship, family, spirituality and cultural heritage, Following the Red Thread: The Beautiful Game is an uplifting coming-of-age novel for readers who loved Bend It Like Beckham, Life of Pi and stories that explore identity, purpose and finding home.

A story for anyone who has ever felt caught between worlds.

And wondered if that might actually be their greatest strength.

On Father's Day 2026, actor Priyanshu Painyuli read the prologue of Following the Red Thread: The Beautiful Game.

Set in Chengdu in 2038, it opens Dhuruv Singh's journey and the question at the heart of the novel:

How much of yourself have you erased, just to belong?

Watch the full 10-minute reading on Instagram ↗