Neil Etheridge
Encyclopedia
Neil Leonard Dula Etheridge (born 7 February 1990) is an English
–Filipino
professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Fulham
. He joined Fulham Academy
after three years as a trainee at . He is currently in the Reserve Squad
, and has yet to make his debut in the Premier League or the Football League
. A former England Schoolboys
international, he now represents the Philippines at international level.
, in the London Borough of Enfield
to Englishman Martin Etheridge and Filipina Merlinda Dula who is a native of Tarlac
. He took up the sport of football at the age of nine and attended Court Moor School
in Fleet, Hampshire
where he also represented Hampshire Schools and the Aldershot & Farnborough district teams.
in 2003, where he was also teammates with eventual Philippine internationals James
and Phil Younghusband
. He started out as a forward but eventually switched to playing as a goalkeeper at the suggestion of his coach. In 2006, he moved to local rivals Fulham, and signed professional forms for the club.
In September 2008, Etheridge signed for Isthmian League Division One South club Leatherhead
on loan for the entire 2008–09 season and made his debut on 20 September in the 2–1 home defeat to Metropolitan Police
.
In September 2009, Etheridge underwent surgery on both knees. He was expected to be out for the entire 2009–10
season but returned in January 2010, eventually making nine appearances for the reserves. By the end of the season he signed a new one-year deal, keeping him at Fulham until the summer of 2011, attributing his contract extension to his quick recovery.
Etheridge received his first senior team call-up on 11 September 2010, when he was named on the substitute bench as cover for Mark Schwarzer
in a home game against Wolves
due to an injury to regular second choice goalkeeper David Stockdale
. In March 2011 Etheridge joined Charlton Athletic
on loan, but was recalled six days later without playing for them. Etheridge inked a contract extension in May 2011 that would extend his stay at Craven Cottage
until the summer of 2013.
international, having played in the 2005 Victory Shield
, in which England and Wales eventually shared the trophy. Despite having represented England at youth level, he remained eligible to represent the Philippines through his mother.
In 2007, Etheridge received an invitation to play for the Philippines but declined the offer, citing unfamiliarity with the language and the players. He was again invited in early 2008, this time by the new Philippine Football Federation
president Jose Mari Martinez. He eventually accepted the invitation after speaking to the new manager and learning about the set up, and after encouragement from Phil Younghusband
.
Etheridge made his full international debut in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers
, playing in all three matches. He kept three clean sheets but the Philippines still failed to qualify due to an inferior goal difference
to group winners, .
He was called up again later that year for the 2008 AFF Suzuki Cup qualification matches. In their opening match, Etheridge got his fourth successive clean sheet, as the Philippines defeated 1–0. However, in their remaining three fixtures, Etheridge conceded five goals as the Philippines won another match, drew one and lost one, before being eliminated on the basis of goals scored record after finishing tied for second.
His next call up that came was for the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup
matches where his performances in goal brought the Philippines to the semi-finals for the first time ever. The Philippines came in second in their group, with 1 win and 2 draws, and conceding only one goal. But both legs of the semi-finals ended in 1–0 defeats for the Philippines against Indonesia. Etheridge was then called up for his country for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup
qualifiers where he conceded only a single goal-enabling the Philippines to qualify for the 2012 group stage.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
–Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
. He joined Fulham Academy
Fulham Academy
The Fulham Academy, headed by Huw Jennings, runs along the lines of many of the English football academies as deemed appropriate by the national governing body, the FA. Players dealt with by the academy can be aged as young as nine years old...
after three years as a trainee at . He is currently in the Reserve Squad
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
, and has yet to make his debut in the Premier League or the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
. A former England Schoolboys
England national under-16 football team
-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the Victory Shield match against Scotland.-Recent call-ups:The following players have also been called up to the England U-16 squad and remain eligible.-External links:*...
international, he now represents the Philippines at international level.
Early life
Etheridge was born in Enfield TownEnfield Town
Enfield Town is the historic town centre of Enfield, formerly in the county of Middlesex and now in the London Borough of Enfield. It is north north-east of Charing Cross...
, in the London Borough of Enfield
London Borough of Enfield
The London Borough of Enfield is the most northerly London borough and forms part of Outer London. It borders the London Boroughs of Barnet, Haringey and Waltham Forest...
to Englishman Martin Etheridge and Filipina Merlinda Dula who is a native of Tarlac
Tarlac
Tarlac is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Luzon Island. Its capital is Tarlac City. Tarlac borders Pampanga to the south, Nueva Ecija to the east, Pangasinan to the north, and Zambales to the west...
. He took up the sport of football at the age of nine and attended Court Moor School
Court Moor School
Court Moor School is one of two secondary schools in the town of Fleet, in Hampshire for pupils aged 11–16. The school was awarded Science College status in 2004....
in Fleet, Hampshire
Fleet, Hampshire
Fleet is a town and civil parish in the Hart district of Hampshire, England, located 37 miles south west of London. It is part of Hart District. The 2007 population forecast for Fleet was 31,687.-History:...
where he also represented Hampshire Schools and the Aldershot & Farnborough district teams.
Club career
Etheridge began attending the Chelsea academyChelsea F.C. Reserves and Youth Team
Chelsea F.C. Reserves are the reserve team of Chelsea Football Club. They are members of the Premier Reserve League Southern Division and the reigning champions of the Southern Division winning the Championship in 2010 - 11...
in 2003, where he was also teammates with eventual Philippine internationals James
James Younghusband
James Joseph Placer Younghusband is an English–Filipino footballer who plays as right midfielder for and the Philippines national team.- Childhood and career :...
and Phil Younghusband
Phil Younghusband
Philip James Placer "Phil" Younghusband is an English–Filipino footballer who plays as a forward for and the Philippines national team.- Early years :...
. He started out as a forward but eventually switched to playing as a goalkeeper at the suggestion of his coach. In 2006, he moved to local rivals Fulham, and signed professional forms for the club.
In September 2008, Etheridge signed for Isthmian League Division One South club Leatherhead
Leatherhead F.C.
Leatherhead F.C. is a football club based in Leatherhead, Surrey, England. The club is nicknamed The Tanners and plays home at Fetcham Grove.-History:...
on loan for the entire 2008–09 season and made his debut on 20 September in the 2–1 home defeat to Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan Police F.C.
Metropolitan Police F.C. is the football club of the Metropolitan Police Service, although in recent years there has been a relaxation in the rule that players had to be serving members of the police force...
.
In September 2009, Etheridge underwent surgery on both knees. He was expected to be out for the entire 2009–10
2009–10 in English football
The 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League...
season but returned in January 2010, eventually making nine appearances for the reserves. By the end of the season he signed a new one-year deal, keeping him at Fulham until the summer of 2011, attributing his contract extension to his quick recovery.
Etheridge received his first senior team call-up on 11 September 2010, when he was named on the substitute bench as cover for Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer OAM is an Australian association football player who plays as a goalkeeper. He currently plays for Premier League club Fulham. He rose to prominence during his time at North-East England football club Middlesbrough...
in a home game against Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
due to an injury to regular second choice goalkeeper David Stockdale
David Stockdale
David Adam Stockdale is an English footballer who plays for Ipswich Town as a goalkeeper, on loan from Fulham.Stockdale started his career with the Huddersfield Town youth system before joining York City's youth system in 2000, where he became a trainee in 2002. He made his first team debut on the...
. In March 2011 Etheridge joined Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
on loan, but was recalled six days later without playing for them. Etheridge inked a contract extension in May 2011 that would extend his stay at Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage is the name of a football stadium in the Hammersmith and Fulham area that has been the home ground of the association football team Fulham F.C. since 1896....
until the summer of 2013.
International career
Etheridge is a former England U-16England national under-16 football team
-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the Victory Shield match against Scotland.-Recent call-ups:The following players have also been called up to the England U-16 squad and remain eligible.-External links:*...
international, having played in the 2005 Victory Shield
Victory Shield
The Victory Shield is an annual football tournament competed for by the under-16 teams of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. The competition is broadcast live in the UK by Sky Sports who also sponsor the competition...
, in which England and Wales eventually shared the trophy. Despite having represented England at youth level, he remained eligible to represent the Philippines through his mother.
In 2007, Etheridge received an invitation to play for the Philippines but declined the offer, citing unfamiliarity with the language and the players. He was again invited in early 2008, this time by the new Philippine Football Federation
Philippine Football Federation
The Philippine Football Federation is the governing body of football in the Philippines. It was founded in 1907 as the Philippine Amateur Football Association . They were one of the 12 Asian associations that founded the Asian Football Confederation...
president Jose Mari Martinez. He eventually accepted the invitation after speaking to the new manager and learning about the set up, and after encouragement from Phil Younghusband
Phil Younghusband
Philip James Placer "Phil" Younghusband is an English–Filipino footballer who plays as a forward for and the Philippines national team.- Early years :...
.
Etheridge made his full international debut in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers
2008 AFC Challenge Cup qualification
The qualification phase for the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup will see four teams advance to the finals to join four automatic qualifiers in the final tournament in India. Qualification was held from April 2 to May 28, 2008 in four different venues. Sixteen teams participated in qualification in four...
, playing in all three matches. He kept three clean sheets but the Philippines still failed to qualify due to an inferior goal difference
Goal difference
In sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points....
to group winners, .
He was called up again later that year for the 2008 AFF Suzuki Cup qualification matches. In their opening match, Etheridge got his fourth successive clean sheet, as the Philippines defeated 1–0. However, in their remaining three fixtures, Etheridge conceded five goals as the Philippines won another match, drew one and lost one, before being eliminated on the basis of goals scored record after finishing tied for second.
His next call up that came was for the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup
2010 AFF Suzuki Cup
The 2010 AFF Cup, sponsored by Suzuki and officially named the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup, took place on December 1–29, 2010. Indonesia and Vietnam hosted the preliminary stage from 1 to 7 December for Group A and 2 to 8 December for Group B. The semi-finals were played home and away with the first legs...
matches where his performances in goal brought the Philippines to the semi-finals for the first time ever. The Philippines came in second in their group, with 1 win and 2 draws, and conceding only one goal. But both legs of the semi-finals ended in 1–0 defeats for the Philippines against Indonesia. Etheridge was then called up for his country for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup
2012 AFC Challenge Cup
The 2012 AFC Challenge Cup will be the fourth edition of the tournament which will take place in Nepal from 8–19 March 2012. The winners will qualify for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. Unlike in previous editions of the tournament, there were no automatic qualifiers...
qualifiers where he conceded only a single goal-enabling the Philippines to qualify for the 2012 group stage.
Honours
England U-16England national under-16 football team
-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the Victory Shield match against Scotland.-Recent call-ups:The following players have also been called up to the England U-16 squad and remain eligible.-External links:*...
- Victory ShieldVictory ShieldThe Victory Shield is an annual football tournament competed for by the under-16 teams of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. The competition is broadcast live in the UK by Sky Sports who also sponsor the competition...
: 20052005 Victory ShieldThe Victory Shield 2005 was the 60th edition of the Victory Shield, an annual football tournament competed for by the Under 16 level teams of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. It was held from 6 October to 25 November 2006 and was shared by England and Wales.-Venues:-Final...
External links
- Neil Etheridge at FulhamFC.com