Neil Etheridge retires from national team

Philippines’ goal keeper Neil Etheridge in the Fifa World Cup/Asian Cup qualifiers at Rizal Memorial Stadium. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines–Neil Etheridge, one of the long-time fixtures of the Philippine men’s football team, announced his retirement from national team duties on Monday.

The veteran goalkeeper took to social media to announce the end of his international career that began in 2008 as an 18-year-old at the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers in Iloilo City.

“Thank you to everyone I have come across and I wish nothing but success for the next generation of Filipino footballers across the world,” Etheridge said in a lengthy post. “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.”

READ: Neil Etheridge leads Azkals for next World Cup qualifying games

Etheridge would later become a major part in Philippine football’s resurgence when the team then known as the Azkals stunned Vietnam in the group stage of the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup (now Asean Hyundai Cup) in what is dubbed as “The Miracle in Hanoi.”

With Etheridge in between the sticks, the Azkals reached the semifinals of the prestigious Southeast Asian competition, triggering a streak of three consecutive appearances.

He also helped the Philippines qualify to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, a historic first for the country, with his role during the qualifying stages.

Etheridge made 82 appearances for the Philippines, but the keeper for Thai club Buriram United has not played since 2024.

READ: Neil Etheridge ’emotional’ after Azkals rediscover old fight

“Time away and things that I had to experience along the way with teammates that no one other than my teammates would understand,” he said, adding. “I don’t regret any of my decisions.”

His retirement from the national team came a few days after helping Buriram win the Asean Club Championship.

The Philippine career also opened the door for Etheridge to become the Filipino to play in the English Premier League when Cardiff City was promoted to play during the 2018/19 season.