Saturday, September 27, 2008 Younghusbands quit RP XI in favor of showbiz By Henry C. Villalva
Fil-British football brothers James and Phil Younghusband have reportedly turned down an invitation to play for the national men's football team in the coming ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Elimination Cup.
The Younghusbands, who have seen action for the national team in a couple of international tournaments including the 2005 Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) and the 2006 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Qualifiers both staged here in Bacolod at the Panaad sports Complex pitch, cited personal reasons for declining the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) invitation, reports in Manila said.
PFF General Secretary Pablito Araneta told newsmen in Manila "the Younghusbands won't join the team this time because they are busy. They want to focus on their modeling careers."
The Younghusbands became instant celebrities and have been making the pages of various magazines in the country. They have been endorsing various products, ranging from watches to clothing lines.
James, 22, who usually plays the right wing position, played for the Chelsea FC youth team in England, while his younger brother Phil, 21, a striker, is a member of the reserve team of the Chelsea FC, which sees action in the Premier League.
Both also saw action for the RP team during the last AFC Challenge Cup Group 2 qualifiers in Iloilo under Bacolod-based coach Norman Fegidero Jr.
Phil is reported to be one of the frontliners in the ongoing Celebrity Duets competition and is rumored as being eyed to do a movie as soon as he is fluent enough with the Tagalog dialect.
During the 2005 SEAG games here at Panaad, Phil accounted for the two goals in the RP team's 2-4 loss to Malaysia. In the Chelsea team, he also scored a total of nine goals in 41 appearances.
