Cardiff City defender Perry Ng is officially a Singapore citizen, bringing the 30-year-old a major step closer to finally playing for the Lions.
Ng, who was born in Liverpool, England, shared a photo of himself holding his Singapore passport on Sunday, 27 September.
His citizenship was also announced by Football Association of Singapore (FAS) president Forrest Li at the association’s Annual Congress on Sunday.
There is, however, still one administrative hurdle before Singapore fans can see Ng wearing the national jersey in an international match.
FAS is finalising the necessary FIFA eligibility process for him to represent Singapore.
Ng Qualifies Through His Singapore-Born Grandfather
Ng’s connection to Singapore comes through his late paternal grandfather, James, who was born here before moving to Liverpool.
Under FIFA’s eligibility rules, that family connection provides Ng with a pathway to represent Singapore. However, obtaining Singapore citizenship was a separate matter.
Singapore’s citizenship rules did not allow Ng to obtain citizenship by descent simply through his grandfather, as that route requires the relevant link to come through a parent who meets the citizenship requirements.
FAS therefore supported his application through the Foreign Sports Talent Scheme.
The process has taken some time.
Ng was invited to Singapore for a familiarisation stint with the Lions in September 2024, when he trained with the national team.
He subsequently became a Singapore permanent resident in March 2025, posting a video of himself holding his blue identity card outside the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority building.
Ng continued making trips to Singapore and training with the Lions while his citizenship application progressed.
As recently as August 2026, he said he was getting closer to completing the process, and he returned to Singapore in September to handle the remaining administrative requirements.
Now, the passport part is finally settled.
Could Feature for Singapore Soon
Citizenship does not automatically mean Ng can immediately step onto the pitch for Singapore.
FAS still has to complete the relevant FIFA eligibility formalities before he can be fielded by the national team.
Ng will not feature in Singapore’s ongoing FIFA ASEAN Cup campaign because the Lions’ squad list has already been finalised, according to The Straits Times.
If the remaining paperwork is completed in time, there could nevertheless be opportunities for him to appear for Singapore before the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
Ng has previously spoken about wanting to represent Singapore at the tournament, which will be held in Saudi Arabia from 7 January to 5 February 2027.
For Singapore, his addition would bring a player with extensive experience in English professional football into the national set-up.
Ng joined Cardiff City from Crewe Alexandra in 2021 and has established himself as a versatile defender who can operate across the back line. He was also named Cardiff City’s player of the season in consecutive campaigns earlier in his stint with the club.
After years of talking about playing for the country connected to his family, Ng now has the Singapore passport.
The final step is getting FIFA’s clearance to put on the Lions jersey in an official match.
