UK-based Hamilton ‘super excited’ to play for Sri Lanka-By Allaam Ousman

Source:Sundaytimes

The trio are Marvin Hamilton, Reef Sebastian Peries and Dillon de Silva, who were named in a 23-man squad which began the fifth phase of residential training for the national pool at the National Training Centre in Beddagana on Thursday.

Sri Lanka is scheduled to play North Korea on June 3, Lebanon on June 7 and South Korea on June 11.

All 23 players and eight officials who are taking part or are involved in the training camp bio bubble had to undergo PCR and antigen tests. The players were selected to the national squad after the Super League initial rounds which also featured Upcountry Lions SC star Ahmed Wazeem Razeek, a German footballer of Sri Lankan descent who is playing for Berliner AK 07.

Sri Lanka’s Bosnian-born head coach Amir Alagic said overseas players who are eligible to represent the country would form the core of the national team in the next few years.

“Selection of overseas players is like for the locals. We have a national curriculum and a system of play. This is how we select them. If I have a local player on the right full back and I have somebody in England, I compare and we have an analysing system. We select players in four major pillars of football: technique, tactics, fitness and mental. We are not assessing with the eyes like before. We have a catapult analysing system,” he said in an interview earlier.

“Then we know whether this guy from England is more advanced than a local player. If they are equal, I would always choose a local to give him more chances to get (international) exposure. For another two or three years, we will heavily rely on overseas players,” he said.

Midfielder Hamilton, who plays for the English Non-League team Whitehawk FC, was delighted after waiting nearly two years before getting dual citizenship.

He was elated when he got a call from a Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) official to say that his paperwork and flew into Sri Lanka at the beginning of April.

“It feels great and I’m honoured. Can’t wait to get on the pitch in a match,” said Hamilton, who is eligible because his mother is a Sri Lankan.

The 32-year-old versatile midfielder who will be tasked to play a holding role was first introduced to the Sri Lankan management by skipper Sujan Perera.

“I didn’t know Sri Lanka had football. I didn’t think it was a big sport. In the UK it is number one,” said Hamilton, who played in a friendly for Sri Lanka against Qatar in 2018.

“We lost the game but it was a great performance. We had some good players. My first impression was good. We have potential to improve a lot more,” said Hamilton.

Having started kicking a ball from the age of eight and playing seriously since he was 14, Hamilton went for trials to play professional football for Arsenal or Chelsea.

“I wasn’t selected but got a scholarship to play for Gillingham when I was 16 or 17 for two years. After that I was lucky enough to get a contract. I played League 1 for a while, third division in England and then went to Cyprus and played three years for Apep FC.”

“It was my first time living away from home. I came back to England and played for a non-league semi-professional team,” recalled Hamilton, who also had brief stints in America before returning to England turning out for Lincoln FC and Eastbourne and has been at Whitehawk FC since 2017.

“Our season in the UK got cut short, so we haven’t played for months. It’s been a tough time with no football. But I’m excited to get going with the national team,” he said.

“I am super excited. I want to make my family proud,” Hamilton, fondly speaks of Sri Lanka.

“The nicest place is Mount Lavinia where I have a lot of memories from when I was a kid,” said London-based Hamilton whose mother Kumari is from Colombo.

One of the best moments was bringing his three-year-old son for the first time to meet his grandparents and rest of the family.

Asked whether he met his family on his latest visit to Sri Lanka, he said: “Yes I did. I stayed with my achcho and aunties for a while. They always treat me so well. This is for my whole family.”

Hamilton predicted a bright future for the other two new overseas stars.

“Reef and Dillon are both 19 and have great futures in front of them”.

Reef Sebastian Peries, a right wing back, currently plays for the Academy team of Woking FC, who compete in the English National League. His brother midfielder Ryan Anthony Peries, 18, currently plays for Bournemouth University FC. They have Sri Lankan grandparents.

Dillon de Silva is a winger who joined QPR from Tottenham Hotspur in 2017.