PETALING JAYA: Only 90 minutes of play in 11 months but that did not stop Lee Tuck (pic) from outdoing himself with a superb debut for Harimau Malaya.
The English-born midfielder, who was naturalised in September this year, impressed by scoring a goal to help Malaysia beat Cambodia 4-0 in their international friendly at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Friday.
His form and the team’s success will serve as a good warm-up before the AFF Mitsubishi Cup on Dec 20.
Besides scoring a goal, Tuck constantly tormented Cambodia’s defence with his set-pieces, dangerous passes and continuous pressing to disrupt the opposition’s tempo.
Tuck said he was unable to play for some time as he had to wait for his naturalisation process to complete.
“It’s been a tough period because I’ve not played for 11 months. I only had 90 minutes with Pahang in the Malaysia Cup,” he said.
“It was challenging to keep my body in great shape and prepare mentally, but I’m glad I had a great start. We’ve got great team spirit and players with discipline too.”
National coach Kim Pan-gon played Tuck on the right wing, which is not his usual position, but the 34-year-old did the job without a fuss.
“It was a great honour to don the national colours. Playing as a winger? I’ve done it before when I played for Negri Sembilan in the past. I’m happy to play either wing or midfield.
“This is the perfect start for me as a national player. We scored four goals, I scored one and we conceded none.’’
Meanwhile, winger and captain Faisal Halim also impressed with two goals and one assist that led to Lee Tuck’s goal.
“I’m proud of the boys who showed great commitment in their debuts. Coach Kim has come up with the best recipe for the team with these new players,” said Faisal, who is expected to join Selangor for the new Super League season.
“We hope to stay aggressive in our upcoming games,” he added.
Malaysia will play Maldives on Dec 14 in another friendly game before their opening match against Myanmar in the AFF Mitsubishi Cup on Dec 21.
