Goalie Neil Etheridge retires from Philippine national team duties

VETERAN GOALKEEPER Neil Etheridge, a vital cog of the Philippine Azkals’ rise to prominence in the 2010s, has retired from national team duties.

The Fil-British stalwart, 36, served the national booters for 18 years, helping them bring pride and honor to a country that for the longest time lurked in the doghouse of international football.

Mr. Etheridge played a key role on defense as the Azkals secured a historic ticket to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup with a 2-1 win over Tajikistan in the Qualifiers at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Side by side with his run with Azkals, Mr. Etheridge put the Philippines on the map by becoming the first Filipino and Southeast Asian player to see action in the Premier League. He manned the sticks for Cardiff in the 2018-19 season.

“All I wanted from the beginning was to make a difference and I hope that I was able to achieve that with my service to the country and national team,” he said in an emotional post on Monday.

Mr. Etheridge joined the Azkals as an 18-year-old in 2008 and became one of the most influential players of the program. He made 82 appearances.

“Passion and desire, I never stopped caring, I always gave everything for the team and the country,” said Mr. Etheridge, recipient of the Mr. Football Award from the Philippine Sportswriters Association in 2018. — Olmin Leyba