Kedah midfielder David Rowley is determined to reach greater heights in Malaysian football, following in the steps of his idol Brendan Gan.
BY ZULHILMI ZAINAL Follow on Twitter
Kedah midfielder David Rowley is determined to reach greater heights in Malaysian football, following in the steps of his idol Brendan Gan.
Following stints with several top and second-tier clubs that went nowhere in the past two years, the mixed-heritage midfielder has finally settled down at Kedah, after joining them in the second transfer window this season.
He featured in three of the Red Eagles’ FA Cup matches en route to them lifting the trophy, and is now playing an increasingly bigger role for Kedah, who recently overcame PKNP FC 6-2 on aggregate to reach the Malaysia Cup semi-finals.
In an interview with Malaysian competitions organiser Malaysian Football League, the 29-year old player spoke of his admiration towards another mixed-heritage player; Malaysia and Perak midfielder Brendan Gan.
“Gan is an incredible player, he went through ACL injury twice but each time he bounced back to continue starring. He scores wonderful goals for Perak too, and I hope that I get to play alongside him on the national team, something I have hoped for for awhile now.
“I also look up to the other mixed-heritage guys such as Matthew Davies and La’Vere Corbin-Ong, who play important roles alongside locally-developed players like Safawi Rasid,” explained Rowley.
While his time at Kelantan earlier this season did not last long, he credited his stint there for his current role as midfielder, after having previously featured mainly as a striker.
“At Kelantan, Marko (then Kelantan head coach Marko Kraljevic) observed that I was able to play as a defensive-minded midfielder, and he helped me adapt to my new position,” revealed the Australian-born player. “After he left, Yusri Che Lah continued helping my switch, and when I joined Kedah, the coach (Aidil Sharin Sahak) is coincidentally someone who had played in this role during his playing days too.
“Aidil helped me tremendously in each game and without these people, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I am truly grateful for all the help I’ve received, after struggling to make a name for myself following my arrival in Malaysia.”
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