MANILA, Philippines - When James Younghusband flirted with a a modeling career in the Philippines last year, there were doubts if the former Chelsea reserve will ever play football again—professionally and for the national team.

While endorsement deals were falling Younghusband’s way, it seemed that he was also taking a step back in resurrecting what was once a promising footballing career in London.

After getting waived by Chelsea in 2006, he was finding difficulty getting signed up by a club and was suffering from a hamstring injury that had bothered him the past four years.

“I never lost the love for the game but I wanted to take time off the stress of making it big in England,” said the 22-year-old right winger, one of five foreign-born Filipinos who have been recalled to the national team for the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers in the Maldives starting tomorrow.

The wave of foreign talent brought in by Chelsea in 2005 made Younghusband a surplus and it didn’t take long before his stint with one of the world’s richest clubs came to an end.

“It was a big drop coming from Chelsea, where you are treated well, to finding a club where you have to fend for yourself,” he said.

Left without a club, Younghusband was convinced to take up a career in modeling. But he found the urge to return to the pitch too hard to resist. And in October last year, he left the glamour of photo shoots and parties and flew back to London in October to work on his game.

“The time off helped me grow up,” said Younghusband, prone to openly expressing his frustrations and criticizing game officials on the pitch. “I think I’m more mature and calm this time.”

And though he hasn’t been playing club football for quite some time, James is optimistic that he can contribute immensely to the national team’s cause in the Challenge Cup.

“I think this is my fittest in a long while,” he said. “I am always injured because I wasn’t fit. Now, I feel fresher after every training session.”

James said having his younger brother, Phil, in the RP Team would have made his return to the squad “perfect.”

“I definitely miss playing with him because we’ve been playing together almost our whole lives,” he said of his younger brother, who was once linked to a move to Major League Soccer team Los Angeles Galaxy.

James, though, believes the RP Team is capable of pulling a surprise in the Maldives, despite the short preparation.

“We may not have time to jell but we’ve grown up together as a team,” he said.