Perry Ng's Journey Towards Singapore Citizenship as Cardiff City Defender

Perry Ng has spent years talking about it. Now, at 30, the Cardiff City defender feels the Singapore dream is finally within reach.

Liverpool-born but Singapore-eligible through his paternal grandfather, Ng has long made it clear he wants to pull on the Lions jersey and test himself on the international stage. The desire has never been the problem. The paperwork has.

He secured Singapore permanent resident status in March 2025 and has since applied for citizenship via the Foreign Sports Talent Scheme, a process he has previously described as confusing and frustrating. This time, though, there is a different tone.

“I think we’re getting closer,” Ng said. “I think in September I’ll have to go, maybe do a few more different things for the criteria for the passport, but hopefully it’s not too far away now.”

The off-season gave him a taste of what might be coming. Ng spent a month in Singapore this summer, not as a tourist passing through, but as someone trying to understand the country he hopes to represent.

“I spent a month in Singapore,” he added. “I got to do a lot of activities and spend time with my family and different community events. It was fantastic.”

On the pitch, his stock has rarely been higher. Ng was named in the PFA League One Team of the Year last season as Cardiff City secured promotion back to the Championship, a campaign that underlined his influence and consistency.

That resurgence has dovetailed with the arrival of head coach Brian Barry-Murphy, under whom Ng has flourished. For a player who has seen a revolving door of managers in south Wales, the stability and clarity have been striking.

“I think I’ve lost count now. I think it was 11 or 12 [managers],” Ng said. “I’ve been waiting for a manager like Brian to come in. So I feel like, why would I leave now?

“I want to continue working with Brian mostly. I think he’s one of the best managers in the league and I’m sure he’ll have a bright future.

“Just the way he sees football and the way he wants us to play, and how detailed he is on and off the pitch. I think that’s been missing at times from my time at Cardiff. He’s just a joy to work with every day.”

Cardiff clearly see him as central to their plans. Ng is under contract until 2028, and Barry-Murphy has been open about just how central the defender has become.

“We’re now looking for him to really assume the leadership role that he’s done so well and improve himself because he’s a very important player for us,” the head coach said.

“Perry is a rhythm player. Once he gets his rhythm and starts playing a lot of games, he tends to improve very quickly. We want that from him.”

So Ng stands at a crossroads of sorts: a key figure in a promoted Cardiff side, and a step or two away from the international future he has chased for years. If the paperwork falls into place by September, the next time he boards a flight to Singapore, it may not be for community events and family time.

It may be to lead a back line in a Lions shirt.