Fingers crossed
Lee: I would love to Tuck in the national jersey
PETALING: Lee Tuck’s mind is set. He wants to don the yellow and black jersey of Malaysia.
Aware of the talks of him being part of the national team, the Terengganu midfielder said he has made it clear that he wants to represent Malaysia.
“It would be an honour for me. However, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) will have the final say on what they want to do with the situation.
“I have not had talks with the FAM officials.
“Nothing has been arranged. It is still early and the situation is quite fresh.
“We just have to see what the FAM decide and which way it is going to go,” said the 30-year-old playmaker from Halifax, England.
Englishman Tuck is eligible to play for Malaysia under FIFA’s heritage ruling due to his maternal Malaysian grandmother.
On Wednesday, Terengganu coach Irfan Bakti claimed that FAM are looking into getting Tuck a Malaysian citizenship to play for the Harimau Malaya.
If Tuck gets the nod to play for Malaysia, he’ll be the seventh player under the FIFA heritage ruling to don the national jersey after Junior Eldstal, La’Vere Corbin-Ong, Matthew Davies, Darren Lok, Brendan Gan, Khair Jones, Kiko and Natxo Insa.
The former Bangkok FC player first came to Malaysia in 2017 when he joined Premier League side Negri Sembilan. At the time, his only intention was to do well for the club.
“I never thought of playing for the country at the time. I was only focused on doing well for the club, and the journey after that has been nothing short but amazing,” said Tuck.
When asked what he could add to the national team, Tuck said: “I hope to bring my physical presence to the field. I hope to bring my work rate going up and down the field for the national side.
“The aim is to make the nation- al team stronger and be part of their success.”
Tuck played 30 games for Terengganu last season and scored 14 goals in all competitions. He is known for his stinging shots, pinpoint accuracy and ability to dictate tempo in the middle of the field.
He hopes to continue his excellent form in the 2019 season and wants to help the club win at least a trophy.
“I am expecting to do one step better and try to win at least a trophy. 2018 was fantastic for us, but no one expected us to do well,” added Tuck.
“Now, we have to work harder and improve on the form we had last year. We do not want a step back.
“It is time to step forward and win trophies.”