I was working as a tiler and playing non-league football – now I’m dreaming of playing in the World Cup at 34
IN Yorkshire, the name Lee Tuck might be remembered by Halifax Town, Guiseley and Farsley Celtic fans.
But in Malaysia, the attacking midfielder is a cult hero for their national team.
The 34-year-old is consistently stopped in the street by fans demanding selfies from the former non-league footballer.
Incredibly, Tuck has been playing in Asia since 2017.
And last year, the bearded star was called up to represent Malaysia, who he already has 11 caps and two goals for.
Next year, Tuck is hopeful of taking on the likes of Son Heung-min at the Asian Cup.
Better still, he also believes he has a shot at playing in the 2026 World Cup.
Reliving the beginning of his journey, Tuck told the Daily Star: “I’m from Halifax and went through the academy there until I was 17 or 18 and did one year as a professional with them under Chris Wilder.
“I was in and out of the Conference and the Conference North until I was 20 or 21, playing for Guiseley and Farsley Celtic.”
To supplement his football career, Tuck took on a job as a tiler before he enjoyed a trial in Thailand.
“When I was 21 an opportunity came for me to play in Thailand through a friend I knew,” he said.
“I said to him ‘if there’s any opportunity for me to go out there and play full time, I’ll do it.’ I was working as a tiler in construction and then playing in the evening for Guiseley in the Conference North. He said ‘I can get you a trial, come out and see how things go.'”
Tuck ended up playing for Nakhon Pathom United,
“I knew nothing about Thailand,” he continued.
“I don’t think there were many foreign players out there at the time. It wasn’t quite as international back then.
“I went over, finished playing for Guiseley, quit my job, sold my car and went for it. After around a week they offered me a contract and I never looked back.”
Tuck spent six years in Thailand, where he was the top scorer in the second division and earned his side promotion to Thailand’s top division.
A spell in Bangladesh came next, where with Abahani Limited Dhaka Tuck scored league and cup success.
Then, Malaysia became his next port of call where he starred for Negeri Sembilan, Terengganu and Sri Pahang.
As soon as he was eligible, he was urged by the Malaysian football authorities to become a citizen and play for the national team.
He said: “You’re eligible to become a citizen after five years. I’ve done six seasons out here but it was something the Football League wanted to do with me for a number of years in terms of joining the national team.”
Tuck made his international debut at the age of 33 – scoring against Cambodia in a 4-0 win.
He followed that up five days later with a goal against the Maldives in a 3-0 win.
It has left Tuck dreaming of going to the World Cup – with a 48-team competition meaning chances for Asian sides have been doubled.
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“We’re not so far away from the World Cup,” Tuck said.
“Obviously we still have to push to get there and it’s not going to be easy, but the potential is there to do it.
“If that happens, wow. I don’t think I could ever look back on my career and regret anything.
“I think when I’m 80 I’d just be talking to it about my grandkids all the time.
“It’s really exciting. I think we’re getting stronger as a team. The progress over the last two or three years has been really good. If we keep going in the right direction it’s possible we could get there.”