Neil Etheridge – First player from the Philippines and the South East Asian area to play in the Premier League.
None of you may have heard his name (unless you follow Championship) before this season but he is set to fight out to be there in the top of best goalkeeping list by the end of the season.
Neil is someone who has struggled to get where he is today. From playing for non-league side Leatherhead to being released by Fulham, sleeping on friend’s couch and paying to train at Charlton to shining in the Premier League. Hell of a ride!
Neil is someone who motivates you to never give up, Here is his story in his own words:
“I sold my house and I sold my cars and I was about a week away from going back to the Philippines,” says Etheridge, who was born in Enfield to an English father and a Filipino mother
When asked about being without a club (when he was released by Fulham): “Paid for myself to train at Charlton Athletic. I was close to the goalkeeping coach there, so I just trained as hard as I could and waited. That time is all in the past now but it will never leave me because it’s made me who I am today.”
“I got offered a short-term contract at Oldham, to sit on the bench,” says Etheridge, whose only game for Oldham came in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy against Preston North End.
“I was living on my mate’s sofa while I was there. But that’s what you’ve got to do to get by.”
He may play for Cardiff City, who don’t possess highest quality of defenders – but with Etheridge standing on the last line, it will be difficult for the opponents to get ball rolling into the net easily.
This guy is already coming into the fixture against Arsenal with top confidence, keeping two clean-sheets, saving couple of Penalties and we are only in Gameweek 3.
At the same time, Neil is going to face the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mesut Ozil, Alexandre Lacazette and Henrikh Mkhitaryan – it will be difficult for him to hold them back.
With the quality of Arsenal’s attacking force – Neil Etheridge will have to turn up at his best, if Cardiff want to come out of the game with atleast a point.
