Etheridge or Greatwich Phl XI skipper

MANILA, Philippines –  Fil-Britons Neil Etheridge and midfield Simon Greatwich appear to be front runners for the position of team skipper of Philippine Azkals team to the 26th Southeast Asian Games slated Nov. 11-25 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Current team skipper Aly Borromeo and manager Dan Palami felt either Etheridge or Greatwich, members of the RP squad that beat the Blue Wolves of Mongolia, 2-0, in their AFC Challenge Cup duel last Feb. 9, would fit the bill for the Jakarta-bound Azkals.

“They’re (Etheridge and Greatwich) both capable but we’ll see what happens when we already have the team,” said Palami during his visit to The STAR with some members of the Azkals and Philippine Football Federation officials Wednesday.

“I think Neil Etheridge would do but he’s not here often though,” said Borromeo.

“Simon Greatwich could too,” he added.

Palami, however, said the two players could be named co-captains of the Under-23 SEAG squad.

“That’s possible but we will wait for the team to be completed before we decide on it,” said Palami.

Among the current members of Azkals, only six are eligible to play since the SEA Games allows only players 23-years old and younger to see action in the biennial meet.

Aside from the 21-year-old Etheridge, who plays for Fulham in the English Premier League, and Greatwich, also 21, who is with the Hartwick Hawks in college, 20-year-old midfielder Jason de Jong, 21-year-old David Basa and Fil-Germans 19-year-old Mark Drinkuth and 18-year-old Manuel Ott are shoo-ins for the team.

The rest of the slots will be filled after the PFF stages a regional Under-23 tournament where the best players from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are expected to vie for berths.