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Manila Bulletin

Sports

Neil Etheridge says goodbye to national team

Sports

Neil Etheridge says goodbye to national team

By Mark Rey Montejo

At A Glance

Goalkeeper Neil Etheridge has called it a career after 18 years of leading the Philippine men's football team on the international stage.

(ASEAN FC)

Goalkeeper Neil Etheridge has called it a career after 18 years of leading the Philippine men’s football team on the international stage.

The 36-year-old Etheridge disclosed his decision on his social media accounts where he reminisced about his first stint with the Azkals in the 2010s together with the Younghusband brothers.

Etheridge was one of the key players in the "Miracle in Hanoi" where the Azkals beat Vietnam, 2-0. He then helped the national squad qualify for its first AFC Asian Cup appearance way back 2019 in the United Arab Emirates.

In his lengthy post, Etheridge, a Chelsea Academy alumnus, went emotional as he looked back to his journey with the Nationals and how he poured his all for the flag and for the fans during his duties.

“18 years. Love & Heartbreak Passion & Desire. I never stopped caring. I always gave everything for the team and the country.Time away and things that I had to experience along the way with teammates that no one other than my teammates would understand,” Etheridge wrote.

“I made some amazing friends along the way and met some great people. Memories that will last with me forever. Thank you to all the supporters who have been along with me on the journey,” he added. “I hope that the journey continues in a positive way.”

Etheridge, an Enfield, London native whose mother Merlinda Dula’s roots came from Tarlac, has donned the tricolors 82 times with his final appearance way back in 2024.

Currently playing for Buriram United in the Thai League 1, the 6-foot-2 goalkeeper started his pro career with Fulham FC then moved to different clubs, including Cardiff City and Birmingham City before taking his talent to Thailand.

Related Tags

AFC Asian Cup PFF Neil Etheridge Azkals PMNFT

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