By Jack Biantan of
http://Pinoysoccer.com
LONDON - I was in the Philippines for a month for a holiday recently and had time to interview RP's top and controversial striker Phil Younghusband.
Phil and his brother James did not join the RP men's football team in the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup elimination round tournament in Cambodia.
James wanted to join the tournament and went to attend the training in Laguna. He was however told to go home when he reported for training. Phil however was busy with other commitments during the tournament. But that was not the real reason why he did not go to Cambodia.
Without the brothers, the Azkals lacked firepower and they failed to advance to the Suzuki Cup which is scheduled on December in Thailand.
I asked Phil 12 questions and here are his answers.
1) Are there any real offers from England?
I've spoken to some people in England and there are a few clubs interested. Of the exact details, i am not sure, but will find out more when i arrive back in England.
2) What do you feel about the current attention you are getting after your appearance in the Celebrity Duets?
Ha, ha. I enjoyed my time in celebrity duets and experienced something new and different from what I am used to. I had a lot of fun and made a lot of new friends and got a little taste of show business in the Philippines. I would be lying if I said I was not enjoying the attention from fans and getting recognized and praised for something that is not my profession. It's nice to know people are supporting me and I am glad I was able to make them happy and entertain them.
3) Will you sacrifice your soccer career for a showbiz career?
I'm not sure yet. I am not quite ready to give up on football yet because it has been my whole life. But I will have to weigh up my options and speak to people to see which will be the best decision for my future and for my family. I would prefer be near my family rather than thousands and thousands of miles away.
4) What is your feeling right now towards the PFF?
Pure frustration. You hear a lot of things said about the PFF and you never know what to believe. At the end of the day, I just want them to be fair and consistent. I have never asked for any special treatment. The PFF currently owe me a sum of money. It's not about the money, its the principle because I was sent a letter prior to the tournament (AFC Challenge Cup elimination in Iloilo last May) stating the PFF will cover all my costs for flights and accommodation for the tournament. With regards to the food situation, if a Filipino comes to England and could not eat the English food, then he would be allowed to eat his own food. I only requested if I could eat different food. If they had not say order what you want, we would reinburse you, then I wouldn't have paid my own money for the food and I would have eaten the food given. Instead they did and I spent my money on food.
5) Do you feel that you have been maltreated by the new administration?
No I don't feel I have been maltreated. I don't want to say anything bad about the PFF because I don't know the whole truth and what goes on behind the scenes. Also, it's not my place to say but as I said before,I just want consistency and fairness towards myself and my brother. I don't want to hear false promises. I'd rather hear the blatant truth and make my decision from there.
6) What did you feel when they (PFF) change coach Aris and then coach Norman resigned and then they replaced him with Cutillas?
Honestly, I really liked coach Aris as a coach. He showed good knowledge and a good understanding of the game and I enjoyed playing under him so I was sad when he left. Then I played under coach Norman and I also really liked him. I liked the way he wanted the team to play although I couldn't understand his team selection. But fair enough, he was the coach. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to play under coach Cutillas. But I was actually happy when he was appointed because it's obvious he has very good knowledge and everything he says is right. Because he is European, its similar to what I am used to so I was happy to hear he was the new coach.
7) Is there any chance for you to play for the National team again, even if they beg you?
Of course, there is a chance. I love football and I love playing for the Philippines and representing my country. I always look forward to it, but again it's about principle. I will play again once I'm re imbursed all the money owed to me. If I let this go, whose to say they won't do it again and take advantage of me and in the end, I'm losing out. As much I love playing for the Philippines, I shouldn't have to pay money to play. That's unfair.
8) What to you feel when people accuse you of being unpatriotic after you declined to play for the AFF elimination tournament?
I can understand why people are saying this, but they don't know the full story. At the end of the day, I need to earn money. I can't eat into my savings all the time. So, if the offer comes along to appear in a TV show and I will receive an appearance fee or play for the Philippines, but I will have to pay. Which will i choose? It's the same as another player saying they can't play because of work or their studies. I love the Philippines and anything I do is far from unpatriotic. So to know people are saying that is difficult to take because it's far from the truth. And I did not, not play because I'm pursuing modeling or was busy with modeling.
9) Do you want to appeal to our football leaders to fix Philippine football?
I will do as much as I can to make football better in the Philippines. I love football and I love the Philippines so I will appeal and ask anyone for their input and support in Philippine football. It has so much potential and the standard has improved a lot since when I first arrived. It can only get better.
10) Is there any hope for Philippine football?
Of course there is hope. But as iv said time and time again, it wont happen over night, unless someone with massive resources comes in and invests in Philippine football. There is always going to be politics, but it needs someone to take hold of it and sort out all the unwanted burdens. On the pitch is definitely improving. And if we keep going and keep playing, we can only go upwards. Just need to be given the chance to play regular games against good competition and that comes from behind the scenes.
11) If there is a change of leadership in the PFF who do you want to rule the sport?
I want someone with a lot of money because then to them it's not about making money, it's about choosing the right ways to invest the money in making football bigger. Someone, like Roman Abramovich. (lol)
12) Who do you want to coach the Azkals?
I'm not sure whether the coach should be foreign or not. I would like a Filipino manager, but are there any that meet the criteria the Philippines need. We need someone with experience, a good level of knowledge and good player management. I would like Jose Mourinho in an ideal world, but as long as the manager can bring success, I don't mind.
