Enrique Linares, a promising Fil-Spanish standout, has made an impression when the Philippine Azkals played friendlies with Nepal and Taiwan last Thursday and Monday.
The 23-year-old Linares caught the eye of coach Hans Michael Weiss after he was able to stand his ground during the games.
“There were few exceptions (in our last two games), like Linares, who was the discovery of the matches. He was a positive that we can bring from the match,” said Weiss.
Linares, a defender, was playing for Indonesian club PSM Makassar this year when he was called up for the Azkals.
Born in Spain, Linares has an older brother Alvaro, who gets summoned once in a while for national team duties since 2014.
Weiss said Linares showed exceptional fitness during the friendlies. He will be among the new players, who will be tapped when the Azkals play more international matches.
The Azkals are preparing to see action in the Asian qualifiers of the 2026 FIFA World Cup this November.
At the same time, qualifications for the 2027 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup will also be staged in that month.
“We have a good young defender, who can help us with more games coming in,” said Weiss.
Last year, Linares got his first call-up to represent the Philippines’ under-23 team in the 31st Southeast Asian Games, debuting during their 4–0 triumph over Timor-Leste.