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NO more Younghusband in the celebrated Azkals team.
James Younghusband, the baby-faced assassin in Philippine football, followed his younger brother Phil in retirement on Thursday.
James retirement came seven months after his brother called it quits to marry his long time fiancée. The Younghusbands, then managed by the late Cathy Revila, used their looks and skills to lead Azkals to international stardom in the past years.
“Time to say goodbye,” wrote the 33-year-old Younghusband on his social media network Instagram and Facebook.
“Thank you for the amazing memories. I have loved playing this game. Thank you to my family, bosses, managers, coaches, team mates, opponents and all my supporters who have been part of my professional career,” James said.
James and Phil started their football career as member of the U-23 national team for the 2005 Southeast Asian Games. They were part of the Azkals campaign during what it called ‘renaissance’ in Philippine football in the famous 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup championship.
In 2018, Azkals achieved its highest spot of 111th in the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) rankings — the highest rank the national team has achieved since the introduction of ranking system in 1993.
With the Younghusbands, Azkals also ranked top among the South East Asian countries in the last couple of years. On March 27, 2018, the Azkals qualified for the AFC Asian Cup for the first time in the nation’s history.
A member of the Chelsea youth program, Younghusband also played pro football for Loyola Meralco Sparks, Davao Aguilas, and Ceres Negros FC in the local football league.
“I feel lucky to have experienced wonderful memories and thankful for every moment of my time with my clubs and country,” said Younghusband.
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