Sandro Reyes: The Philippines’ Shining Starboy

Philippine men’s football is seeing a resurgence of support, especially with its recent wins in the ASEAN Championships and the third round of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.

After winning against Maldives last March 25, the Philippines continues its bid for a spot in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup on June 10 as it faces Tajikistan in the qualifiers at the New Clark City Stadium in Capas, Tarlac.

Last week, this series “Faces of Filipino Football” put the spotlight on one of the team’s veterans in Jarvey Gayoso. [READ | Jarvey Gayoso: Man of Magis]

Now, here’s one of the Philippines’ pride in global football: Sandro Reyes.

Talking to Sandro Reyes is like talking to a ball of energy.

When this writer interviewed Sandro virtually, the 22-year old Philippine National Football Team seemed to be in a particularly energetic mood, popping in and out of the screen throughout.

He was playful with his answers, too. Asked who for him was the most beautiful person, since football is known as “the beautiful game”, he answered his teammate Oskari Kekkonen’s name before laughing it off afterwards.

Perhaps it was that same energy that allowed him to discover and excel in the sport at an early age.

At four years old, Sandro already showed interest in football, thanks to his cousin Patsy, a former women’s national team player, who influenced him to check the sport. Thanks to his dad Edmund, he learned at an early age who Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were, both of whom eventually became young Sandro’s idols.

And thanks to his friends at Southridge in Muntinlupa, Sandro started to get a taste of football training.

From being a young football wonder in Alabang, Sandro has come a long way — quite literally — to become one of Philippine football’s brightest stars. Some fans have even started calling him by an auspicious nickname: “Starboy.”

From Southridge to Spain

Southridge holds a special spot in Sandro’s heart.

The Filipino football player shone first in Southridge, together with his friends who tried out the sport.

“My best friends before in Southridge also say that they’re the ones who made me start. I was four years old in Southridge and it was just the two of them and me in my first training in Southridge,” Sandro told GMA News Online.

“We were just three people with one coach. Yeah, so that’s how I started. And [it] slowly just grew into a loving game and slowly watched the games on TV with my dad a lot.”

Sandro, though, has always been a standout and not just because of his talent on the pitch.

“In fact, honor student siya, consistent. Simula nung nagsimula siya sa prep hanggang ngayon sa Grade Four,” said Luden Salamat, then grade school principal of Southridge, told GMA News in 2012.

Ryan Lorenzo, Sandro’s football coach 13 years ago, saw how the young star excelled in a certain aspect of the sport.

“Si Sandro ‘yung tipo ng player na magaling talaga sa positioning,” Lorenzo said then.

But at just nine years old, Sandro left Southridge to travel to Spain to further develop his talents in football after receiving a scholarship in FC Barcelona Escola.

“I just went to an FC Barcelona Escola camp in Singapore and the coaches recommended that I maybe do some trials in Spain. And then I think when I got in, then it was a no-brainer,” Sandro recalled.

“During my trials, it was my first time to see a proper football country, the true football, the love for football, I got to watch my first games in Camp Nou. And from there, it was a no-brainer to pursue that life.”

That journey, however, turned out to be life-changing not only for himself, but his family as well.

“My parents changed their lives for me and my siblings to be able to pursue it,” Sandro said.

“Aside from that, I was just a normal kid going to school in Spain also. It was serious, but also I was just being a kid as well at the same time.”

Far from his usual life in Muntinlupa, Sandro learned not only about football, but also the challenges of being a Filipino overseas.

“I was forced at a very, very young age to learn about independence. I think [my] life as a kid would have been very different if I was living in the Philippines when I moved at such a young age to Spain,” Sandro said.

“I was just living with my mom and my mom would go home sometimes. So I would also be alone sometimes. And, you know, the life in Europe is very different from Manila.

“There’s no car, you have public transport, you just go alone everywhere at such a young age. You take care of yourself, you know, the laundry, the dishes. So just everything in general, it made me grow up much faster, I think, than I would have in Manila.”

“And I think it also really helped me in my football life. For the last three years, [I am] already living alone in Germany, [it’s] not an easy country to live in. So Spain prepared me really well for times like this.”

Shining moment

While in Spain, Sandro would also play for the youth team of the Philippines before he showcased his talent locally in clubs like the Azkals Development Team and Kaya-Iloilo.

Now, Sandro is part of German club FC Gütersloh, where he plays professionally.

But many of Sandro’s shining moments come for the Philippines, like in the recent ASEAN Championships where they reached the semifinals.

En route to the semis, Sandro scored one goal against Laos which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Days after that, and two days after Christmas, he and the team gift-wrapped for Philippine sports one of its best presents.

in the semis of the tourney, the Philippines beat Thailand in football, 2-1, for the first time in over five decades — a drought of 52 years.

Sandro scored the first goal of the said match at the 21st minute in front of the home crowd at the Rizal Memorial Stadium before  Kike Linares sealed the victory for the Philippines at extra time.

“I dreamt of this kind of night ever since I was a young boy,” Sandro said.

“To be able to play in front of all the Filipino fans, my family, my entire family at home. It was such a big game against Thailand, semifinals. So yeah, it was a perfect night on the field, off the field.”

“Obviously, we pulled off a great win. And I have a lot of brothers, close friends on that team. And there was nothing better [than] to experience such a big win in front of our fans alongside such close friends.”

Sandro Reyes. Photo: PFF/PMNT

More than the win, Sandro said it was also about how they won, especially against a powerhouse like the Thais.

“Personally, it was the best first half that I’ve been a part of, a half that I’ve been a part of since I’ve played in the Philippines. It was just nice to see how we were also making Thailand suffer, such a good team like Thailand. And then obviously, the goal,” Sandro said.

“Yeah, the goal was also very special, the goal in front of our fans, my family. But the second goal, even if it was not my own, felt just as special, if not more special than my own goal, because it was the last minutes of the game and to beat Thailand. So the emotions I felt for the second goal were actually even, in my opinion, more than my own goal.”

After the whole tournament, Sandro was voted by fans to be part of the ASEAN Championship All-Star XI.

He may already be a star, but Sandro said being part of the Philippine team also means he should continue to strive and give his best.

“I have to continue to work hard and stay humble, because football humbles you very quickly if you get carried away. So I just have to continue to stay grounded so that I can continue to play well,” he said.

“But regarding pressure or anything from the outside, no, no outside pressure. Maybe, just self-inflicted pressure from my own to keep performing and keep getting better. That’s the only pressure I feel.”

Bright days then, brighter days ahead

It seems like Sandro’s future gets brighter each day.

Recently, Sandro, along with Amani Aguinaldo and other ASEAN football players, played against Manchester United where they won 1-0.

“A boy from Manila winning against Manchester United in front of 70,000 fans. But we keep dreaming for more,” Sandro wrote in the caption of his post.

 

And energetic as ever, “Starboy” is just getting started.

“I was just a very competitive boy ever since I was a really, really young kid,” he said.

“My family was very into sports, and my father was also a very competitive guy in his own field. My mother also pushed us to be the best that we can in all the things that we do. So just from a very young age, I was very competitive already.”

“Winning is always on my mind, especially for the national team,” he added.

“When you win for your country, you’re winning for the 120 million Filipinos that you’re representing, and you’re beating another country. So that’s how important winning is for me, for the country.”

Sandro has come a long way, but he knows there’s much more in store.

“[In terms of] my career, [I] just [want] to get as far as I can in Europe first and to continue to enjoy all the little and big things that football can bring because it brings so many nice nights, just like that night against Thailand, nice emotions, but also just the everyday journey and trainings and struggles,” he said.

“This is also what I want, to continue to live for as long as I can in my football career, and with the Philippines to be able to push it forward as well and inspire as many kids as we can, and do well in the Asian Cup, get as close to qualifying, if not qualified to a World Cup.”

There’s enough shine to Sandro’s star, however, that it will not be on him alone. He’s more than happy to share.

“After football, I don’t think I can leave football,” he said.

“I really decided when I was maybe six, seven years old that I will be a football coach. So I will definitely be in football until my grave. It’s all I’ve known since I was a kid. It’s all that I will ever want to do until as long as I’m alive.”

Just like a star and its bright light that reaches across the far ends of the universe, Sandro plans to be around a long time — and he has all the energy in the world to make it happen.

Philippine football, meet your Starboy.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News