British-born footballer Perry Ng gets PR, says it’s ‘1st steps’ towards playing for S’pore

Perry Ng gets Singapore PR, aiming to gain citizenship & play for Lions

Footballer Perry Ng, who was born in Liverpool in the United Kingdom, has received his Singapore permanent residency (PR).

Proudly showing off his blue IC in an Instagram Story on Friday (21 March), he said he has taken his “first steps” towards putting on the red jersey and representing the Singapore national team.

Source: @busterng on Instagram

Perry Ng poses with FAS president after getting PR

Standing in front of the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) Building in Kallang, Ng said he was a bit jetlagged — presumably from flying all the way here from Cardiff, where he is presently based.

He did spare some time, though, to pose for a photo with Football Association of Singapore (FAS) president Bernard Tan, who was there to mark the momentous occasion.

Source: @busterng on Instagram

In an Instagram post, he said he was “thankful for everyone who has helped (him) on this journey”.

Perry Ng eligible to play for Singapore as his grandfather was born here

According to FAS, 28-year-old Ng is eligible to play for Singapore based on FIFA regulations as his paternal grandfather was born here.

However, he also needs to be a Singapore citizen, so he needs to fulfil the ICA’s requirements for citizenship application.

He is now applying for Singapore citizenship under the Foreign Sports Talent Scheme.

If successful, he will be the first heritage athlete to gain citizenship, FAS said, adding:

His desire to honour his family’s connection to Singapore and contribute to the country’s football scene is a driving force behind his aspirations.

Source: @busterng on Instagram

During last September’s international break, Ng was invited to join the Lions squad to familiarise himself with its setup.

For the current international break, Ng has again been invited by FAS to join the Lions for training.

However, he could not be included in the Lions’ squad for the friendly against Nepal on Friday — which they lost 0-1 — and the upcoming Asian Cup qualifier against Hong Kong.

Perry Ng has won awards in consecutive years at Cardiff City

Born in Liverpool in 1996, Ng made his professional debut in 2015 for Crewe Alexandra — a club that was then in League One, the third tier of England’s football pyramid.

He made 182 appearances for Crewe before moving to the Championship in January 2021, signing for Welsh club Cardiff City — a club owned by a Malaysian businessman.

Source: @busterng on Instagram

Ng established himself in the first team’s defence, winning Players’ Player of the Season and Player of the Season awards for two consecutive seasons — 2022/2023 and 2023/2024.

Source: @busterng on Instagram

In August 2023, Ng had signed a new three-year contract, keeping him at Cardiff until 2026.

Also read: Japan-born football player gets S’pore citizenship, now eligible for ASEAN Championship

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Featured image adapted from @busterng on Instagram and Instagram.