The Scottish football player says he owes a lot to Roberto Martinez for the rise in the game that has just seen him make Scottish football history.
Ifthikar will become the first British South Asian to manage in senior Scottish football when he takes over at Fort William.
When he was a teenager, Ifthikar decided that he would do whatever it took to become a manager. He was part of the backroom staff for Belgium at the Euro 2020 and worked as an opposition scout for both Wigan andEverton.
Ifthikar told Sky Sports News that he doesn't have enough time in the day to talk about what he has learned from the Belgian.
Roberto Martinez has worked at Wigan,Everton and Belgium.
I pick up a lot when I speak to him. He's the smartest person I've ever met. I'm grateful to his staff, they've helped me a lot. I am where I am today because of the man.
I have the most respect for him. I tried to convince him to come and manage for a couple of months at Fort William, but that didn't work out very well. Hopefully, his advice will hold me in good stead and I can take a little bit of information I've learned over the years with him.
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British South Asians are proud to represent their country in football and that's something the assistant coach of the women's team wants to see more of.
I cannot thank him enough for what he's done for me on and off the pitch.
Iftikhar's journey in the game has seen him manage at club level as far away as Samoa and Mongolia, where in a short time he became the national team assistant manager.
It's a tough country. He said that he will always hold that opportunity in his heart, and that he has a lot of respect for the country.
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The resilience that has been key to the career of ex-Chorley first-team coach Irfan Kawri has been found.
It was difficult to adapt to a new culture in a new country. Your life is very different when you've lived in England.
It was a great learning experience and you learn a lot as a manager. The support that you got and the travelling was amazing when you were involved in the national team.
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Mal Benning has had to overcome challenges to make it as a professional footballer.
It was a great gauge to where you are as a manager. I look back at it with great memories. It was one of the best times of my life.
The Apna England & Punjabi Rams are up for a British Sikh Award.
The Punjabi Rams won the Fans for Diversity award last week and Derby County had something to celebrate.
The Apna England and Punjabi Rams fans' groups have been nominated for a Legacy Award.
Apna England is an important voice for British South Asians in Football, with a core membership drawn from affiliated South Asian-led groups supported by the Fans for Diversity campaign and the Football Supporters' Association.
Derby County's Punjabi Rams were awarded the Fans for Diversity award at the Football Supporters' Association Awards in London on Monday night.
The Punjabi Rams ran mental health sessions for their supporters during the time of lockdown. The group started a free ticket campaign to get children and low-income families into Pride Park.
Sky Sports News exclusively revealed the Punjabi Rams were extending their commitment to the Derby County Women's side by becoming shirt sleeve sponsors.
Jay Mann, a member of the Punjabi Rams, told Sky Sports News: "This is an incredible achievement for us as a group and testament to the fantastic support that the club and the Derby County fans have shown us."
"We will continue to serve our community and help drive the agenda of improving representation in football."
The Southall event was light up by two people.
The free girls' football event had a sports scientist and a player at it.
The Seeing is Believing free girls' football event hosted by the Indian Gymkhana club in Southall at the weekend was a great success with the help of two people.
The pair ran football sessions with Gymkhana coaches at the event to encourage more South Asian female participation in the game.
They were joined by English league football's first turbaned referee, Jarnail Singh, Sky Sports News journalist, and a player from the B team, Hapreet Heer, who provided mentoring and advice to parents on pathways into different parts of the game.
The picture is of a young person at Manchester United.
The event was supported by the Super 5 League and was enjoyable, according to the event's co-chairman, Chandarana.
All of the girls that have come down have had a great experience. It has been a great opportunity for the girls to get involved in football and raise awareness about the game.
It's great to be involved in something that gets more girls involved in sport and playing football, it's just fantastic. It's great for me if people think I'm a role model. That makes me happy.
South Asians are in football.
Sky Sports News and Sky Sports digital platforms have more stories, features and videos on the South Asians in Football page.
