There were 96 million collective sighs of relief in the Philippines this week when Premier League club Fulham released their second-choice keeper Neil Etheridge to join the Filipino national team in Nepal for the upcoming AFC Challenge Cup.
Etheridge is part of a young Philippines squad trying to make history for their country after they qualified for the Challenge Cup for the first time – and the 22-year-old is one of the Azkals’ greatest assets.
Born in Greater London to an English father and a Filipino mother, Etheridge played for England Under-16s back in 2005, but he remained eligible to play for the Philippines and four years ago, he decided to pledge his international services to the Asian nation.
Etheridge told Sport360° about his decision to play for the Philippines rather than hold out for England. “It’s always difficult when you’re a dual nationality like myself, to play for England or to play for a team like the Philippines,” he said. “A majority of people would look at it and say obviously you want to play for England. And of course the chance for playing for England was there at the time, playing for the under-16s or 17s, but looking back on it, I would never regret my decision.
“To see the Philippines come forward in football is something I can tell my kids and tell my family. To be part of this transformation, from pretty much nothing to now, I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully we’ll make it and become a stronger force in football.”
On the rise
In a country where football has always taken a back seat to other sports like basketball and boxing, Etheridge explains how football is making a lot of progress. He paid tribute to Team Manager Dan Palami, who is considered the saviour of Filipino football. Etheridge says: “There’s been a lot of changes on and off the field since I first joined the national team. Players weren’t the same and a lot of players weren’t playing professionally.
“As the years went on more Filipino foreigners started to join the team. As players and the management we didn’t want it to be a full team of players that would fly in from abroad. Obviously, you can respect that as it’s a lot of money for the federation to give, to fly the players out and obviously it’s not going to be beneficial for the Philippines in the long run, the leagues and things that we’re looking at to improve.
“At the moment we have a good balance. Off the field, we’ve gone through many managers, we’re a team that was not recognised in the world. I’m not saying that we are now but we’re definitely putting a mark on the map for ourselves.
“This is a massive step forward. I remember years back when the organisation wasn’t the greatest, there was a lot of… I have to be careful what to say here. There were disagreements off the field should I say. But now, since Dan Palami took over, we got through to the semi-finals of the South-East Asian Cup, which for us was massive.”
The Azkals made it through both group stages with an admirable performance, only to come unstuck against Indonesia over two legs in the last four. Etheridge said: “Unfortunately, losing to Indonesia twice at their grounds (no ground was suitable in the Philippines) is a big memory that will stick with myself and the rest of the players that played in the competition because that was the start of the development of Filipino football.
“Dan put his hand in and it’s about what he has given the whole team. Bringing new coaches in, new players in. Four years ago, even two years ago I would never have thought I’d be on a trip to Dubai, or any of the places we’ve been. So it’s a massive credit to the staff and Dan Palami himself.
“I’m looking forward to the Filipino league, it’s now building up. Some of the players are starting to financially benefit from it which is a step in the right direction. There’s a long way to go but with the support from the government and the federation, I could see it as a league that could hopefully compete in South-East Asia.”
Loving life at the Cottage
Etheridge, who has made only one appearance for Fulham with the senior team last December in the Europa League, has signed on at Craven Cottage until the end of 2013 but the Fil-Brit is unsure on how many chances he’ll get to play with first-choice keeper Mark Schwarzer also extending his contract for the same period.
“I love the club. I’ve been there now for five or six years, since I was 15. I was with Chelsea for four, then moved to Fulham. I’ve loved every moment playing for that club. Obviously being close to where I’m based as well always helps,” said Etheridge. “There’ll be a time where, of course, I want to play football and I know Fulham want to support me in that, so whether it be I go alone next season, or stay at the club, it’s undecided but for me it’s just about playing football.
“I really want to play football to the highest level I can. The Premier League is the top league in the world so to be part of a club such as Fulham which is very well-respected is a great honour. And I just want to keep it that way for as long as possible.”
The Azkals begin their Challenge Cup campaign in Kathmandu on Friday against defending champions North Korea. The winners of the eight-nation competition will qualify for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.
Neil Etheridge | FACTFILE
* Born: February 7, 1990, Enfield, England
* Originally a forward in the Chelsea Academy, Etheridge switched to goalkeeper at the suggestion of his coach.
* He has 29 caps for the Philippines.
* Etheridge made his senior debut for Fulham against Odense on Dec 11.
