SINGAPORE -- Neil Etheridge has plenty of achievements to his name -- both throughout the entirety of his career, as well as the 18 months or so since he joined Thai League 1 giants Buriram United.
Yet, even at the age of 35, there are still new milestones for him to tick off -- such as last Wednesday when he made his debut in the ASEAN Club Championship.
Despite joining Buriram in June 2024, Etheridge was primarily utilised in the league and AFC Champions League Elite -- with Chatchai Budprom rotated in as the first-choice in last season's ASEAN Club Championship, which culminated in a title triumph.
That trend continued this season until last week when, with Buriram desperately needing a victory to boost their hopes of advancing from the group stage, Etheridge was named as part of a full-strength starting XI for his regional club bow in what ultimately proved to be a convincing 4-1 win over BG Tampines Rovers.
The result means that, even though Buriram still lie in third place on six points in Group A, victory over DH Cebu on Wednesday will guarantee their progress -- given the fact that leaders Selangor and second-placed BG Pathum United are destined to take points off one another in their meeting.
It makes last week's triumph over Tampines all the more crucial, especially considering it was their first of the campaign following three consecutive draws.
"We are very happy that we won," Etheridge told ESPN. "Obviously, slightly upset that we conceded. We know that it's going to go down to goal difference in the last game now.
"We know that, in this competition so far, we should have more points that we're currently on -- but it is what it is. We know we had to come here to win -- and win quite comfortably, which ultimately I feel like we did.
"[It] gives us three more points and three more goal difference on the board going into the last game.
"Overall, very happy. [There are] parts that we can work on obviously so we move on to the next game now."
The English-born Etheridge, who can lay claim to being the first Filipino to play in the Premier League, had a debut campaign with Buriram to remember as they completed a domestic treble for the third time in four seasons -- in addition to the ASEAN Club Championship triumph.
They have now been champions of Thailand for four years running and are firmly on course for another league crown as they sit nine points clear at the summit.
It means that Etheridge, despite only being in his second season at the club, is fully aware of the lofty demands that comes with playing for a team like Buriram - something he relishes now that he has also been introduced to the regional front.
"It was a competition that I didn't play in last year and I [am] very thankful to have the opportunity to this season," added Etheridge, who once played an entire season as a No. 1 in the Premier League with Cardiff City.
"We won this competition last year even though I didn't play a part. 'Boy' [Chatchai] did obviously amazing in the final and every single game he played. For me, it's great to have the opportunity to play in this competition and we want to keep the trophy with us again.
"I think it's a privilege to have any sort of pressure, to be honest. If you don't want pressure, you shouldn't be in this industry. It's a pressure that I thrive off and I feel like my performances over the last 18 months at this club have proven.
"It's all about winning when you come to a club like this and the expectation is so high, you need to deliver on a weekly basis."
Of course, Etheridge is no stranger to Southeast Asia's fierce regional rivalries.
Ahead of the end of group-stage action in the ASEAN Club Championship, relive all the best goals from last week's action.
He was, after all, a key member of the Philippines side that made history by reaching the semifinals of the ASEAN Championship for the first time in 2010 -- with a knockout round-clinching result in Vietnam still dubbed 'the Miracle of Hanoi'.
Etheridge's undeniable quality and top-level experience would ordinarily make him a shoo-in for the No. 1 jersey for his country, although he arguably should have even more than the 82 caps to his name.
Previously, when the ASEAN Championship was held at the end of the calendar year during a non-FIFA international window, club commitments robbed Philippines of his services.
With this year's tournament moved to a July-to-August window, it should make most of team's leading names -- even those based in Europe -- available for selection.
Yet, Etheridge's presence at the tournament is now in doubt due to a different reason.
His last call-up came in 2024. When asked about his prolonged absence from international duty, he has clarified that he simply has not been called up -- which has only led to speculation surrounding possible off-field issues, especially given the upheaval that has taken place since the Philippine Football Federation revamped its national team management committee.
Etheridge has previously maintained on several occasions that he has not retired from international duty and that it is beyond his control as to whether or not he gets selected.
And, in the wake of the group stage draw for the 2026 ASEAN Championship taking place a fortnight ago -- where Philippines will be hoping to advance for a second consecutive edition -- he was once again straightforward in his response to the prospects of him featuring.
"I need to get called up first," he replied matter-of-factly. "That's it. I can't really say much more than that.
"I'm concentrating on my time here at Buriram. I've got a lot of games [from] now until the end of the season, and important ones.
"If I get called upon and called up, it's a conversation that I'll have obviously with myself, [the] federation and my family."