Friends forever: (From left) Junior Eldstal, Brendan Gan and La-Vere Corbin Ong with their spouses at Matthew Davies’ wedding.
PETALING JAYA: Never has Christmas Day been so precious for national football team centreback Junior Eldstal.
The 32-year-old is treasuring every moment of that special occasion with his family in Perth, Australia, today before he reports for Malaysia’s Asian Cup training camp at Wisma FAM tomorrow.
This year’s festive celebration also feels like a two-in-one party for Eldstal as he also attended his teammate Matthew Davies’ wedding on Saturday.
“Breaks in football like these are very rare ... and I will treasure this special occasion. I’ve been in Asia now for 10 years and I’ve missed so many important milestones of my family and friends in England,” said Eldstal, who plies his trade in the Indonesian League with Dewa United.
Junior Eldstal and his baby daughter.
“It’s part and parcel of the job but it never gets easier. My family know that tough times like these come with my career.
“So it’s important to stay strong mentally and remain as focused as you can. We’re in Perth for Matt Davies’ wedding for a few days.
“It’s nice that some of the boys managed to get together and celebrate this time of year together. It’s a good bond we have created off the pitch and one that we bring onto it.”
The prestigious Asian Cup will kick off in Qatar from Jan 12-Feb 10, and Malaysia are in Group E with South Korea, Jordan and Bahrain.
The Harimau Malaya’s first game is against Jordan at the Al Janoub Stadium on Jan 16.
“Playing in the Asian Cup is a huge ambition of mine.
“Since I was part of the team that qualified, I knew in my head I wanted to be with this group leading them on this big stage,” said Junior.
As for his time in Indonesia, he said it was tough in the beginning but he is grateful for the experience with Dewa United.
“It’s tough being on loan and moving hasn’t been easy, especially with my family and my newborn.
“I think it is one of the most difficult things for a professional athlete to move and settle in a new place.
“As for the football, It was quite an experience and I thank Dewa for the opportunity.’’
