Filipino-British goalkeeper Neil Etheridge made history after becoming the first Southeast Asian player to compete in English Premiere League (EPL) by playing for Cardiff City.
Etheridge, known for being the goalkeeper for Philippine national football team Azkals, made his debut appearance in the league by playing for the Bluebirds in their game against AFC Bournemouth.
Despite ending in a 2-0 loss, Etheridge expressed his pride in being able to compete in the league and taking new learnings in the process.
“Great to make my Premier League debut. Not the result we wanted, a lot of things to work on and a lot of positives to take out of the game. Thank you to all the travelling supporters,” his post on Twitter read.
Great to make my Premier League debut. Not the result we wanted, a lot of things to work on and a lot of positives to take out of the game. Thank you to all the travelling supporters #cardiff #bluebirds ?⚪️ pic.twitter.com/CxMxmg9JTW
— Neil Etheridge (@Neil38Etheridge) August 11, 2018
Etheridge played a crucial role in the game and had some notable moments during the 90-minute standoff.
During the 34th minute of the game, Etheridge was able to save a kick from Callum Wilson which would have doubled the Bournemouth’s lead over Cardiff City.
Bournemouth, however, was able to secure the win when Wilson had another chance to score in the final minutes of the game and increased the lead to 2-0.
Cardiff City will have another chance to snatch their first win on their game against Newcastle on Saturday, August 18.
“It’s a long season. We’ll keep sticking together and working hard,” Etheridge said.
