KUALA LUMPUR: Selangor’s new foreign import signing, Michal Nguyen has made it clear that his presence in The Red Giants squad is not to compete with any of the local players.
In fact, the former Air Force Central player prefers to share his footballing knowledge and experiences to help the team perform better for the coming new season.
“It is not a competition among us players, it is more towards me helping the local players and at the same time, they can help me to become better as well.
“This is what I will do with this team. This is why I chose to come and play for Selangor, and actually it is an honour for me to represent a team with such a history and enviable reputation such as Selangor,” he said.
The Czech Republic born player who represents Vietnam will fill the Asean foreign import slot, joining the team as the fifth foreign import alongside Rufino Segovia, Antonio German, Endrick dos Santos and Taylor Regan.
Nguyen is a player whom The Red Giants will depend on for an added physical presence and advantage while also beefing up their defence.
The 29-year-old can play as a central defender and is also capable of slotting in comfortably as a right-back or defensive midfielder, adding depth and tactical flexibility for the team.
Speaking on Selangor’s pre-season playing tour of Thailand, Nguyen admitted it has benefitted the team as part of preparations for the new season which begins next month.
“I played in Thailand’s League 1 with Air Force Central last season, so I am familiar with the teams in this country which will provide tough competition for Selangor.
"It is a very good opportunity for us to work on improving and playing better as a team. We’ve got a really good crop of players in this team, with some standout performers such as Amri Yahyah and young Syahmi Safari, so I am confident that we can achieve something this coming season,” he said.
For the record, Selangor were runners-up in the FA Cup last season, though in the league they finished a disappointing eighth with 27 points.