Perry Ng is serious about Singapore but it is a pity he also had to watch the Lions lose 1-0 to Nepal.
Ng, watching from the stands, noted that his future team-mates played with intensity but faced difficulties after Nepal scored and adopted a deep defensive approach, making it hard to break them down.
But he believes his experience and composure can help the Lions.
“I’m looking forward to playing with and for them soon,” he told the Straits Times.
“I believe I can fit in with my experience and physical attributes, and help the team be a bit calmer in possession and gain control when things get a bit frantic.” he said.
The Cardiff City right-back didn’t just fly in for the international break to train with the Lions – he also spent time giving back to the community at the Thye Hua Kwan Active Ageing Centre in Bukit Merah View.
He exercised with the seniors, packed and handed out food, played bowling on a video console, and even danced with them.
Three days later, he was at Kallang Football Hub, sharing time with young footballers in the Junior National Development Centre and Singapore Youth League.
Ng, 28, officially became a Singapore Permanent Resident (PR) on 21 March.
Which means the obvious next step is citizenship.
His late grandfather, James Ng, was born in Singapore, and Perry has long wanted to honour him by wearing the national colours.
“Ever since he passed away, I’ve wanted to play for Singapore to honour him,” he told the Straits Times.
“I’m happy the first step towards that is complete. My family in Singapore are really excited, and hopefully they can finally get to see me play in person.” he said.
Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) states that citizenship applications can take up to 12 months.
However, in some cases, like Kyoga Nakamura’s in 2024, it took just five months.
MAIN PHOTO: PERRY NG