BRENDAN Gan dedicated his goal in the 2-1 win over Thailand in Thursday’s pre World Cup match to his newborn baby by sucking his thumb at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
The inspired midfielder not only scored a goal, but also created Harimau Malaya’s second with a delightful chip over the Thai defence for Mohamadou Sumareh to volley home the winner for Malaysia’s second straight win against a team ranked in the Fifa top-120 rankings.
For Brendan, who was named man of the match for his sterling display, it was his first international goal in 15 appearances for Malaysia.
It was a worthwhile move from Brendan, who put the nation first over his family by flying down to Kuala Lumpur two days after his wife, Elyse Gan, gave birth to his son, Koa Brooklyn, on Nov 5 in Sydney, to report for centralised training.
“I was with my son for only two days after he was born.
“In life, we all make sacrifices. We as players make sacrifices because we want to fight for the country. This goal is for my son.
“It was a great performance from the boys. They gave 110 per cent, they showed fighting spirit and the crowd was amazing. The atmosphere was really good and to get a win was very exciting.
“The great thing about this team is whoever came in did the job well. It didn’t matter who started, we had one goal in mind and that was to win,” said Brendan yesterday.
Brendan also touched on his impressive performance by stating that his newborn son gave him the added motivation to raise the bar in the match.
“In my heart, I wanted to make my son proud, and I achieved it.
“I want to let him know that hard work does pay off in life,” said the Australian-born Malaysian who is now injury-free after going through two Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) surgeries in the last four years.
The first ACL tear was on his right knee in 2015 during a league match for Kelantan.
But barely months upon returning, he suffered a similar injury, this time on his left knee while on international duty which kept him out for more than a year.
However, Brendan, who played for Perak last season, did not give up. He was determined to return to his best.
And he finally earned his first national team call up in August after a three-year lapse thanks to his impressive performance for Perak.
Born to a Malaysian father and an Australian mother in Sydney, Brendan, who was granted Malaysian citizenship in 2013, earned his first cap when he played against Saudi Arabia in a pre World Cup match in 2016.
He is among the pioneer group of players with Malaysian heritage to naturalise and qualify to play for Harimau Malaya.
Under Fifa rules, players must have ancestral ties to the country which they wish to represent with either a parent or grandparent born there.
It also reads that a player must live for at least five years after reaching the age of 18 on the territory of the relevant association and has never played for any other national team.
Malaysia remain fourth with six points in Group G but are only one point off second-placed Thailand, while AFC Cup champions Vietnam, who edged the United Arab Emirates 1-0, lead the table.
“I believe this win sets us up well in the group. However, we have to continue working hard.
“Our job is not done yet. We have to shift our focus to Tuesday’s game against Indonesia,” he added.
National coach Tan Cheng Hoe praised Brendan for his well-oiled performance in midfield on Thursday.
“Maybe his newborn son inspired him in the match. Brendan has always been a determined player and his performance against Thailand showed it.
“It’s not easy because he had to overcome ACL injuries in the past. He showed determination to return to the national team,” said Cheng Hoe.