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2 Sep 2024 – Donning the Lions’ red training strip, a nervous smile spread across Perry Ng’s face as he faced the Singaporean media for the very first time at the Kallang Football Hub.
Just less than a week ago, eyebrows were raised when head coach Tsutomu Ogura announced that he would prioritise spending time with his team on the training ground during the September international window, opting to take on two club sides rather than high-level international friendlies.
Familiar names, new faces
A factor that likely played a significant role in his decision was the long-awaited squad additions of Cardiff City’s English star Perry Ng and BG Tampines Rovers’ Japanese playmaker Kyoga Nakamura, who joined up with the national side as part of a “familiarisation stint” on September 2. This marks a significant advancement in their pursuit of representing Singapore, which had been on their minds for a long time.
“It’s nice to come this week to meet and introduce myself to everyone, as well as to build relationships with the coach and staff,” Ng told the media before his first training session.
He participated in a few drills during the earlier part of the session, before doing some light recovery work with the overseas-based players as the rest of the squad engaged in two-sided games.
Valued at 3.8 million euros by Transfermarkt, the right-back penned a new three-year deal with Cardiff City in 2023 after a string of impressive performances for the Championship side. He was also named the Cardiff Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year for the 2022-23 season.
Singaporean Red
Honouring his connection to Singapore, the 28-year-old explained that representing the country and making his family proud had always been his dream.
“My family has never seen me play before, so to walk out of the National Stadium with them there would be a dream come true,” said Ng.
“I’m here to show my commitment to Singapore, I’ve been wanting to do this for many years so hopefully we do make it happen.”
Liverpool-born Ng, who expressed his interest in representing Singapore on multiple occasions, is eligible to play for the country as a heritage player through his late paternal grandfather James – who was born in Singapore but later moved to England. Over the past few years, Ng has regularly flown to Singapore to visit his uncles, aunts, and cousins who still reside there.
However, Singapore laws state that one can only be eligible for Singapore citizenship by descent if at least one parent is a citizen by birth or registration. It also forbids citizens from holding dual citizenship upon turning 22, which means Ng will have to eventually renounce his British nationality and give up his passport before being able to feature for the Lions.
Work In Progress
Bernard Tan, president of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), assured that the association will commence the proceedings of helping both players attain their passports and have them naturalised to Singapore.
Despite there being no guarantees, Ng still hopes that the process will be fast and that he can “get things over with”. If successful, he will be the first heritage athlete in Singapore’s history to gain citizenship.
On the other hand, key BG Tampines player Kyoga Nakamura – who just welcomed his second child on September 1, has already fulfilled the five-year Fifa residency requirement for players lacking birth or ancestral connections. The former Japan Under-17 international, who attained his permanent residency in March, has played in the Singapore Premier League since 2019.
Expressing his love for the country, the 28-year-old said: “I’ve lived in Singapore for 5 years and I would like to contribute to Singapore football. I can share my skill (and experience) both on and off the pitch to guide the younger players.”
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