Will SG's "Cristiano Ronaldo" skip National Service, like Ben Davies?

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Football: Wolves defender Birtwistle, 17, 'so honoured' to be first S'pore-born player in EPL​

Teen defender Harry Birtwistle penned a three-year deal with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Oct 27, 2021.PHOTO: WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

Sazali Abdul Aziz
Correspondent

Oct 27, 2021

SINGAPORE - Teen defender Harry Birtwistle has become the first Singapore-born player to sign professional terms with an English Premier League club, after he penned a three-year deal with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Thursday (Oct 27).
The right wing-back, who turns 18 in December, has been based in England since 2017, when he signed a scholarship with the club, whose first team are currently 11th in the 20-team EPL.
"The last four years I have been at Wolves have been life-changing," he said. "Yes, there have been challenging times, but I wouldn't trade it for the world… Becoming a professional footballer was always my dream and it was what got me through some tough moments. The goal and drive to achieve my dreams have always been there and is something that will never change."
"I'm so honoured to be standing here today as a Singapore-born professional footballer at a Premier League club. Hopefully, this can inspire others after me who don't believe they can do it."
He signed professional terms two days after scoring his first goal this season for Wolves' Under-23 side in a 3-2 win over Newcastle in the Premier League 2 (PL2).
According to Wolves' website, he has featured in seven games out of nine this season, playing 499 minutes. He has also trained at least five times with the first team.

Wolves are fifth in the 14-team PL2 Division Two, which features U-23 sides of clubs in England's top two tiers of football.
The club's academy coaching and football operations head Jonathan Hunter said he was proud of Birtwistle's tenacity in overcoming setbacks, including injury and settling in the country, and added: "I'm really proud of seeing where he's come from to where he is today, and this is just the start of what we all hope will be a successful professional career."
Wolves' technical director Scott Sellars added that the youngster has "shown a lot of commitment" since he arrived at the club, and has demonstrated a lot of potential.
"He's progressed into the U-23s - even though he's still under 18 - and displayed some really good performances, scored a few goals, and he's certainly deserved the reward of a professional contract with the club," said Sellars.

"Looking forward, Harry needs to keep performing for the U-23s to a high standard and, when January comes, we will assess where he is in his journey; whether he needs to go out on loan or stay here and work with the Under-23s and first team."
Birtwistle, whose mother Rachel is a Chinese Singaporean, is one of several players with Singaporean heritage plying their trade in Europe.
Defender Perry Ng, 25, of English second-tier side Cardiff City and defender-cum-midfielder Luke O'Nien, 26, of third-tier Sunderland are both eligible under Fifa rules to play for the Republic via their Singapore-born grandfathers.
However, the British passport holders cannot turn out for Singapore unless they obtain a Singapore passport. Singapore citizens are not allowed to hold dual nationality.
Aside from the England-based players, Italian giants AC Milan list Danish goalkeeper Andreas Jungdal, 19, as being born in Singapore on their club's websites. Jungdal's contract was extended to 2024 earlier this month.
The most familiar name to most Singaporeans however, is Ben Davis, who signed professional terms with Fulham in July 2018.
Davis, now 19, was born in Phuket to a Thai mother and an English father and moved to Singapore with his family at age five before becoming a citizen four years later.
He went on to represent Singapore at the Under-16 and U-19 levels, and received a call-up to the senior national team but did not take to the pitch.
Four months after the Lions call-up, he signed professional terms with Fulham, where he had been on a scholarship since July 2017, becoming the first Singaporean to do so with a top-tier English club. The following day, the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) announced the rejection of his application for long-term deferment from national service.
The issue of his deferment sparked a public debate about national service and sporting commitments for Singapore's male athletes.
In February 2019, Mindef confirmed Davis did not report for NS as required and had thus defaulted on his NS commitments. It added that he is also staying overseas without a valid exit permit. As such, he is liable upon conviction to a fine of up to $10,000 and/or imprisonment of up to three years.
He later switched his international allegiance to Thailand.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Oops! He is a defender, not an attacker.

 

[eatshitndie]

british passport, no sinkie passport. born in sg but registered as a uk citizen. may not need to register and serve ns as he’s not a registered sinkie shitizen and may not have enjoyed privileges and benefits accorded to a sinkie shitizen.

 

[laksaboy]

british passport, no sinkie passport. born in sg but registered as a uk citizen. may not need to register and serve ns as he’s not a registered sinkie shitizen and may not have enjoyed privileges and benefits accorded to a sinkie shitizen.

Indeed. Sinkie nationality is a liability if you're a footballer and you want to play for the national team in major tournaments.

 

[nirvarq]

Hairy Birdwhistle ?

 

[rushifa666]

Thank god his parents not retrded unlike mlaysian trash who got their son killed by scdf

 

[syed putra]

One ' mat salleh" outperform all the other local " mats"?

 

[syed putra]

National service is a liability to male sinkies unless he is committed to be a professional soldier.
If its mandatory, make it for just 6 months. Enough to shoot and learn to operate other heavy equipment.

 

[Sideswipe]

he is not sinkie, just sg born. like that also proud happy ?

 

[shittypore]

he is not sinkie, just sg born. like that also proud happy ?

No privilege to serve NS, .

 

[melzp]

Salah was spared fm military for the player he is.
Is Harry that level ?

 

[red amoeba]

He is gonna spend his time warming the bench and freezing his balls and then sneak back to Singapore and signed on as foreign talent for an ass League club who then claimed he has EPL experience.

 

[Rogue Trader]

Former England center back Terry Butcher was born in Singapore. What the fuck is the ST reporter talking about?

 

[steffychun]

Just do a sex change

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Wolves defender Harry Birtwistle's application to renounce his S'pore citizenship rejected​

Harry Birtwistle was born in Singapore and resided here until he was 13 in 2017.PHOTO: HARRY BIRTWISTLE/INSTAGRAM

Sazali Abdul Aziz
Correspondent

Oct 29, 2021

SINGAPORE - Harry Birtwistle, the young Singapore-born footballer who on Wednesday (Oct 27) signed professional terms with English Premier League (EPL) club Wolverhampton Wanderers, applied to renounce his citizenship, said the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) on Friday (Oct 29).
A Mindef spokesman added that this application was denied.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, she also said that the player, who moved from Singapore to Britain in 2017 at the age of 13, is living abroad without a valid exit permit and “has committed offences under the Enlistment Act”.
Under the act, national service (NS) is a mandatory conscription and duty that every male citizen and permanent resident must undertake upon attaining the age of 18. Birtwistle turns 18 in December.
“Mr Birtwistle’s parents applied to renounce his Singapore citizenship,” said the spokesman, adding the application was rejected “as renunciation should not be used as a means to evade NS (National Service) duties”.
She added that in the family’s correspondence with the ministry, “they had stated that Mr Birtwistle will not be registering for NS”.

“Since then, Mr Birtwistle failed to register for NS as required. He is also staying overseas without a valid exit permit. Mr Birtwistle has committed offences under the Enlistment Act.”
Birtwistle, whose father John is British and mother Rachel is Chinese Singaporean, was born in Singapore and lived here until he was 13. He moved to England to chase his dream of being an EPL player, signing a scholarship with Wolves shortly after his arrival in 2017.
The senior Birtwistle told ST that he had requested deferment from NS for Harry from 2017 with a likelihood of the teenager giving up his Singapore passport when he turned 21. But this was denied.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority’s website states that a Singapore citizen can only renounce his citizenship if he is aged 21 and above, is of sound mind and has acquired the citizenship of another country.

However, it adds that the Government may reject the renunciation by a male citizen if he has enjoyed citizenship privileges and has outstanding NS obligations.
Birtwistle senior said the preference for Harry to keep his British passport was because of strict work permit rules in England.
“Retaining his United Kingdom passport and British citizenship are essential to pursue a professional football career in the EPL, given the points-based work permit requirements applicable on all non-UK citizens, which were made even more stringent post-Brexit.”
He explained that he had made the decisions as a father that “only wanted the best” for his son and stressed that “Harry himself has never wanted to renounce his citizenship nor intentionally skip NS”.
Harry has “deep roots” in Singapore, he said, with his mother and his two young siblings still residing here, as well as extended family and friends. He has long wanted to represent the Singapore national team.
John said that both he and Rachel are “100 per cent in agreement and fully aligned” regarding their son’s pursuit of an elite football career, despite divorcing in 2008.
He added that he and his ex-wife are “most grateful for the support shown from the Singapore public towards Harry in recent days” and hope that the focus will shift towards Birtwistle’s football pursuits.
“Life is short and bittersweet for us all. Perhaps it’s wise to focus on the positives which can hopefully influence others to strive for their goals and live their dream,” he said.
Harry has featured mainly for Wolves’ Under-23 team that plays in the Premier League 2, but has been training with Wolves’ first team “about once or twice a week” since the season began in August.
Coached by Portuguese Bruno Lage, Wolves are 11th in the 20-team EPL after nine games.

Birtwistle’s situation mirrors that of Ben Davis, another footballer playing professionally in England.
Davis, now 20, was born in Phuket to a Thai mother and an English father and moved to Singapore with his family at age five before becoming a citizen four years later.
Having represented Singapore at youth level, he was called up to the senior national team in March 2018 but did not earn a cap. In July that year, he signed professional terms with Fulham, where he had been on a scholarship for a year.

Four months after the Lions call-up, he signed professional terms with Fulham, where he had been on a scholarship since July 2017, becoming the first Singaporean to do so with a top-tier English club. The following day, Mindef announced the rejection of his application for long-term deferment from NS.
In February 2019, Mindef confirmed that Davis did not report for NS as required and had thus defaulted on his NS commitments. It added that he is also staying overseas without a valid exit permit. As such, he is liable upon conviction to a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment of up to three years, or both.
He later switched his international allegiance to Thailand, and in August signed for English third-tier side Oxford United.

 

[borom]

This need to be seen in perspective, there are many 1st generation PR's and shitizens who has not served NS and LHL even defended that.
Have you heard of one who have umpteen years of deferment and serve as research scientist during NS?

Anyway I do not sympathize or empathize with those ang mo who bring their kids here or have their kids born here , get citizenship and than expect to escape NS later. They could have easily not taken up citizenship under what is one of the most totalitarian and suppressive regimes ever.
Anyway the PAP acting tough is of no use as these people are outside their reach and only make themselves look silly when millions of foreigners can walk in and steal our jobs and do not need to serve NS

 

[eatshitndie]

Wolves defender Harry Birtwistle's application to renounce his S'pore citizenship rejected​

Harry Birtwistle was born in Singapore and resided here until he was 13 in 2017.PHOTO: HARRY BIRTWISTLE/INSTAGRAM

Sazali Abdul Aziz
Correspondent

Oct 29, 2021

SINGAPORE - Harry Birtwistle, the young Singapore-born footballer who on Wednesday (Oct 27) signed professional terms with English Premier League (EPL) club Wolverhampton Wanderers, applied to renounce his citizenship, said the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) on Friday (Oct 29).
A Mindef spokesman added that this application was denied.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, she also said that the player, who moved from Singapore to Britain in 2017 at the age of 13, is living abroad without a valid exit permit and “has committed offences under the Enlistment Act”.
Under the act, national service (NS) is a mandatory conscription and duty that every male citizen and permanent resident must undertake upon attaining the age of 18. Birtwistle turns 18 in December.
“Mr Birtwistle’s parents applied to renounce his Singapore citizenship,” said the spokesman, adding the application was rejected “as renunciation should not be used as a means to evade NS (National Service) duties”.
She added that in the family’s correspondence with the ministry, “they had stated that Mr Birtwistle will not be registering for NS”.

“Since then, Mr Birtwistle failed to register for NS as required. He is also staying overseas without a valid exit permit. Mr Birtwistle has committed offences under the Enlistment Act.”
Birtwistle, whose father John is British and mother Rachel is Chinese Singaporean, was born in Singapore and lived here until he was 13. He moved to England to chase his dream of being an EPL player, signing a scholarship with Wolves shortly after his arrival in 2017.
The senior Birtwistle told ST that he had requested deferment from NS for Harry from 2017 with a likelihood of the teenager giving up his Singapore passport when he turned 21. But this was denied.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority’s website states that a Singapore citizen can only renounce his citizenship if he is aged 21 and above, is of sound mind and has acquired the citizenship of another country.

However, it adds that the Government may reject the renunciation by a male citizen if he has enjoyed citizenship privileges and has outstanding NS obligations.
Birtwistle senior said the preference for Harry to keep his British passport was because of strict work permit rules in England.
“Retaining his United Kingdom passport and British citizenship are essential to pursue a professional football career in the EPL, given the points-based work permit requirements applicable on all non-UK citizens, which were made even more stringent post-Brexit.”
He explained that he had made the decisions as a father that “only wanted the best” for his son and stressed that “Harry himself has never wanted to renounce his citizenship nor intentionally skip NS”.
Harry has “deep roots” in Singapore, he said, with his mother and his two young siblings still residing here, as well as extended family and friends. He has long wanted to represent the Singapore national team.
John said that both he and Rachel are “100 per cent in agreement and fully aligned” regarding their son’s pursuit of an elite football career, despite divorcing in 2008.
He added that he and his ex-wife are “most grateful for the support shown from the Singapore public towards Harry in recent days” and hope that the focus will shift towards Birtwistle’s football pursuits.
“Life is short and bittersweet for us all. Perhaps it’s wise to focus on the positives which can hopefully influence others to strive for their goals and live their dream,” he said.
Harry has featured mainly for Wolves’ Under-23 team that plays in the Premier League 2, but has been training with Wolves’ first team “about once or twice a week” since the season began in August.
Coached by Portuguese Bruno Lage, Wolves are 11th in the 20-team EPL after nine games.

Birtwistle’s situation mirrors that of Ben Davis, another footballer playing professionally in England.
Davis, now 20, was born in Phuket to a Thai mother and an English father and moved to Singapore with his family at age five before becoming a citizen four years later.
Having represented Singapore at youth level, he was called up to the senior national team in March 2018 but did not earn a cap. In July that year, he signed professional terms with Fulham, where he had been on a scholarship for a year.

Four months after the Lions call-up, he signed professional terms with Fulham, where he had been on a scholarship since July 2017, becoming the first Singaporean to do so with a top-tier English club. The following day, Mindef announced the rejection of his application for long-term deferment from NS.
In February 2019, Mindef confirmed that Davis did not report for NS as required and had thus defaulted on his NS commitments. It added that he is also staying overseas without a valid exit permit. As such, he is liable upon conviction to a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment of up to three years, or both.
He later switched his international allegiance to Thailand, and in August signed for English third-tier side Oxford United.

he’s screwed royally by his idiotic parents, most likely his sinkie mom.