Ready for national duty: Richard Chin became the first player of Malaysian descent to feature in the English League. — Charlton Athletic’s Facebook
PETALING JAYA: Richard Chin, the 19-year-old footballer of Malaysian descent who made his first start in League One of the English Football League (EFL) last week, hopes to play for the country one day.
And his agency, Rock Sports Management, has notified the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) of his intent to don Malaysian colours in the future.
“My team is working on exploring options on how I can play for Malaysia,” he said.
“It will be a great honour for my family and me, especially on my dad’s side.”
Richard’s father is Malaysian and his mother hails from Seychelles.
Plying his trade with Charlton Athletic, Richard made his bow in the league when he played for 72 minutes in the club’s 1-1 draw with East Green at the Valley Stadium in London on Sept 13.
He became the first player of Malaysian descent to feature in the English League.
Richard has been with Charlton since he was six and made his first team debut in 2021 when he played against Leyton Orient in the EFL Trophy.
“Making my league debut is something I’ve dreamt about as a young boy. Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, I can get more opportunities to play,” he said.
Richard added that he was aware of the hard work ahead if he wants to see more game time with the club.
“At the moment, the most important thing is to stay in the present, set clear targets and review my performances, and see how I can improve further.”
