MANILA, Philippines — Retired Azkals member James Younghusband had a lot of advice for the young members of the national team currently finding themselves in a rough spot after an early exit in the 2022 AFF Mitsibushi Electric Cup last month.
According to Younghusband, their campaign in the regional tiff, which was the latest in a string of disappointing runs by the Filipino footballers, is still a product of the program getting derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Though not excusing the lackluster performances that have left Filipino football fans wanting from their men's team, Younghusband said that there must be patience on the side of players to get back into the thick of things.
"It was difficult during the pandemic because everything was on lockdown, everyone was confined to do zoom training. But I think it's just, it'll just take time to get on our feet and just keep getting as many touches as you can and keep playing," said Younghusband during LaLiga's Heroes Off the Pitch gala night at Fairmont in Makati on Thursday.
"I said it to some youth team [members] recently, football has to become like a craft and you have to eat, sleep, drink football and you have to keep being hungry. I said, even me, I've stopped playing but I'm still hungry. Every time I see a nice football field, I wanna get on that field and show what I got, prove that I can still play even though I can't." he quipped.
Younghusband, along with his brother Phil, were among the players in the Azkals when the team reached a high point in its program during the early 2010s.
But in recent years, the Azkals are stuck in trying to regain their footing. Most competitions have been a struggle, including the Southeast Asian Games in the latter parts of the 2010s.
In 2022, the Azkals failed to move on to the semifinals when they finished just fourth in their group with a 1W-1D-2L record.
Still, Younghusband remains optimistic that the Filipino booters can eventually get the program up and going again.
For the 36-year-old, who has 101 caps for the national team, the Azkals just need to band together and play their own game.
"Just play and keep it simple, enjoy, and always listen to the coach, always study the opponents you're playing against, and yeah, it's really is a team effort," said Younghusband.
"I think, we learned that throughout the last years. It's all about being together and doing our best as a group." he added.