Perry Ng Moves Closer to Singapore National Team Dream

Perry Ng has spent years talking about it. Now, he can finally see it.

The Cardiff City defender says he is closer than ever to pulling on the Singapore shirt, a long-held ambition for the Liverpool-born full-back who qualifies for the Lions through his paternal grandfather.

Ng, 30, secured Singapore permanent resident status in March 2025 and has since applied for citizenship via the Foreign Sports Talent Scheme. The process has not always been smooth; he has previously been open about his confusion and frustration over the requirements. This time, though, there is a hint of momentum.

"I think we're getting closer," Ng said. "I think in September I'll have to go, maybe do a few more different things for the criteria for the passport, but hopefully it's not too far away now."

That hope is not abstract. Ng has just spent a significant chunk of his off-season in the country he wants to represent.

"I spent a month in Singapore [this summer]," he added. "I got to do a lot of activities and spend time with my family and different community events. It was fantastic."

For Singapore fans, the prospect is obvious: a seasoned, technically assured defender arriving at international level in his prime. For Ng, it is about identity as much as opportunity, a chance to anchor himself to his roots while still thriving in the English game.

Ng comes into this next chapter on the back of an outstanding club season. He was named in the PFA League One Team of the Year as Cardiff clinched promotion back to the Championship, a campaign that underlined his consistency and influence on the right side of defence.

His club situation feels settled, and that matters. After years of churn in the dugout at Cardiff, Ng now sounds like a player who has finally found the right footballing home.

"I think I've lost count now. I think it was 11 or 12 [managers]," he said of his time in south Wales. "I've been waiting for a manager like Brian to come in. So I feel like, why would I leave now?

"I want to continue working with Brian mostly. I think he's one of the best managers in the league and I'm sure he'll have a bright future.

"Just the way he sees football and the way he wants us to play, and how detailed he is on and off the pitch. I think that's been missing at times from my time at Cardiff. He's just a joy to work with every day."

Brian Barry-Murphy’s arrival has clearly reset the mood. The Irishman has installed a possession-based, detailed approach that suits Ng’s rhythm and intelligence, and the club have underlined that faith by tying him down until 2028.

Barry-Murphy has not been shy about how central Ng is to his plans.

"We're now looking for him to really assume the leadership role that he's done so well and improve himself because he's a very important player for us," the head coach said.

"Perry is a rhythm player. Once he gets his rhythm and starts playing a lot of games, he tends to improve very quickly. We want that from him."

So Ng stands at a rare crossroads that most players would welcome: secure at club level, trusted by his manager, and edging towards the chance to become a cornerstone for a national team desperate to climb.

If the paperwork falls into place by the end of the year, Cardiff’s dependable right-back could soon be walking out in red for Singapore, carrying both a family legacy and a new set of expectations on his shoulders.