‘ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END’ | Many-time Azkals captain Rob Gier retires
InterAksyon.com file Long-time Philippine national men’s football team defender Rob Gier announced his retirement from the sport on Wednesday, ending the career of one of the Azkals’ most important faces for the past decade. The Filipino-British Gier, now 35, has captained the Azkals several times since 2009 and was a member of the team’s historic stint in the 2010 ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup that once propelled football’s popularity in this otherwise basketball-mad nation. “All good things must come to an end so today I would like to announce that my playing career has now drawn to a close,” Gier said in a statement. “To all the people that have supported me; all the friends and family that came to watch me play; to all the players I have played with; all the coaches and management staff; to all the people behind the scenes and to all the fans: I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being part of the most amazing journey.” Gier said that “football has given me everything” and will forever be grateful to the opportunity given by the Azkals. “I have travelled the world, won trophies, played for and against some amazing teams, met wonderful people, played in the best stadiums in the world, in front of the most passionate fans in the world, seen a whole country’s footballing landscape change virtually overnight, scored some (not many) goals, made some great tackles, captained a nation, laughed and cried. But most importantly I managed to realise my childhood dream of being a footballer,” he continued. Gier only has two goals under his name for the Azkals but his scoring was often just a bonus as his main playing card has always been defense. A centerback, he provided solid and steady defensive presence to the Azkals backline. He was part of the influx of Fil-English talent into the Philippine football scene which also saw the arrival of brothers Phil and James Younghusband, Chris Greatwich and Neil Etheridge in the country. They all played crucial roles in the Azkals’ Cinderella run in the 2010 Suzuki Cup where they shocked heavily favored foes and, coupled with their good looks, captured the hearts of many Filipinos with their unprecedented run to the semifinals, a feat that remains as one of the team’s best moments. Based in England, Gier said that aside from focusing on being a father to his two kids, he will continue coaching football to children as well as managing a football tour agency in the United Kingdom. As parting words, Gier gave some piece of advice to aspiring footballers: “If there is something out there that you want: dream big, work hard, and like me, you might be one of the lucky ones.” http://j.mp/1ooouUq
