Luke Woodland. INQUIRER.net
Age is just a number.
And for 19-year-old Luke Woodland, he is ready to face older opponents to help the Philippine Azkals achieve their glorious dream of making it to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
“If you’re old enough and if you’re good enough, it’s not about the age,” he said. “I just see that if you’re good enough, you can play. That’s my mentality.”
Despite being the youngest in the 23-man pool, Woodland could not be considered as a novice as he represented England in the youth competitions up to the under-18 level.
But now, the Fil-Brit midfielder is ready to showcase his wares for the Philippines.
“It’s a massive responsibility and I’m excited and happy to carry that. Sometimes, it’s better to play with that pressure and responsibility, and I’m willing to carry that and I’m ready to go,” said Woodland, whose mother Juliet hails from Talisay, Camarines Norte.
And he won’t let the opportunity go to waste.
After all, it has been a long time coming for young Luke to be a part of the Azkals.
“I’ve been following Rob (Gier), the Younghusband brothers, the Greatwich brothers, and seeing how well they’ve been on the Azkals and how great of an experience it was to represent the Philippines. It’s a massive achievement to represent the country and I’m excited to play.”
Come June 11, Woodland promised there would be no letups once the Philippines take the pitch against Bahrain to kickstart its campaign to the World Cup.
“We’re going to the game to get the win,” he said. CFC