AUSTRALIAN legend Mark Schwarzer said his son Julian, 21, is headed to the Philippines to try his luck with the national U23 squad. Schwarzer, who played for close to 20 years in the premier league, mostly with Fulham, said his son Julian Garcia Schwarzer is eligible to play for the country because his wife has Filipino roots.
In an interview with Josh Thomas of Sportingnews.com, Schwarzer, who was Fulham’s No. 1 during Neil Etheridge’s stint there, said his son, who is 5-foot-11, is having a hard time in Europe and is hoping a move to the Philippines will give him the needed playing time.
National team manager Dan Palami said they’ve been in contact with Julian and Mark since the last Southeast Asian Games but problems with securing a Philippine passport prevented the youngster from flying over.
In the interview with Sportingsnews.com, the elder Schwarzer said they are trying to secure a visa.
“He’s in a bit of a limbo at the moment because he’s in the process of getting his visa sorted out to go to the Philippines. My wife has Filipino nationality and our son has the eligibility to play for the Philippines, so there’s the opportunity for him to go over there and play for a developmental side, which is their Under 23 national team,” Schwarzer told Thomas.
My wife has Filipino nationality and our son has the eligibility to play for the Philippines so there’s the opportunity for him to go over there and play for a development side which is their Under 23 national team.
Mark Schwarzer in interview with www.sportingsnews.com
The Azkals Development Team, which is composed of the U23 national team, sees action in the Philippine Football League.
You can read Mark Schwarzer’s interview with Josh Thomas here.