“Obviously, I was very gutted. It is difficult going in everyday seeing your teammates playing football and enjoying it, and obviously, playing games. It was difficult watching it from the side, knowing you want to contribute and you want to be a part of it.”
That was how Loyola Meralco Sparks forward Phil Younghusband had felt while he had been on the sidelines with injury. It is this same determination to return to the pitch that drove the most recent national team skipper to recover as soon as possible.
Younghusband missed the last two matches of the Azkals in the Asian Football Confederation’s 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, and later, the first few matches of his club in the 2016 United Football League. Despite not being on the pitch, the (arguably) most famous football player in the country was pleased with what he had seen.
He commented, “While I was out the team did tremendously well. They didn’t need me, to be honest.” However, it is still different once Phil is on board.
It was not the ideal return for the younger of the Younghusband brothers. Playing against the League’s most in-form team was not an easy task. And he admitted that. “Obviously, coming on against Global, that was my first real test,” he said. In the end of his first 90 minutes of action after a while, the prolific striker has not found the back of the net.
Nonetheless, you cannot deny a scorer from getting goals for long.
Younghusband has registered not one, not even two goals; he completed a hat trick in their following game against “sister team” Agila. From there, the Sparks striker scored at least a goal in every game.
When asked for his own assessment of his performance so far, Phil was visibly delighted. He said, “I feel that I’ve done well. I scored goals; that’s my role. I’m a striker. I am amongst the goals and the assists.” Nonetheless, he attributed the latter to having great players as teammates.
Younghusband is also thankful that his head coach, Simon McMenemy, has been playing him for the entire duration of the matches since his return. He feels that he badly needed that playing time. Phil shared, “It is important to get as much football to get my touch right, get my fitness up. I missed four months of games, so I’m way behind, and I’m playing catch up.” He feels that this situation could help him in the more important games.
The first round nears its conclusion and the Orangemen of Loyola Meralco Sparks are in the thick of the fight for the top spot. If they continue executing McMenemy’s plans well, and with Phil back in the folds, it will not be that difficult to get the much-needed wins.
