PETALING JAYA: Malaysia football team captain Dion Cools (pic) became an absorbing topic of discussion ahead of the Harimau Malaya’s friendly against China today.
The 30-year-old Cerezo Osaka player had to address speculation on Chinese social media that he has Chinese heritage and had to choose between representing China and Malaysia.
“Obviously, that’s something I would need to ask my family about,” said Cools, at the pre-match press conference yesterday.
“I know for sure that I have Chinese ancestry in my family, though I don’t really think it’s appropriate to give a definitive answer on that (choosing between China or Malaysia).
“However, I chose Malaysia. It is my home country – it’s where I was born – so it is only right for me to represent Malaysia at the international level.”
Cools admitted that he was in the twilight of his career but his ambitions for Malaysia remain firm. His immediate goal is to help raise the country’s world ranking.
Malaysia are currently ranked 133rd in the world, while China are 96th.
‘’I’m already in the later stages of my career, and I’ve already achieved a lot of the things I wanted to achieve,” said Cools.
“With the national team, I want to achieve the best results possible, play good games, and make sure I make Malaysia proud.
“I’m happy with where I am in life, and I hope to continue making my family – and especially my country – proud through what I do on the football pitch.”
