Some more very interesting transfer news today as it was announced that former Southampton midfielder Harley Willard has made the move to Cambodia to join top flight side PKR Svay Rieng.
The move comes after the 20-year-old had a spell playing in the Swedish fourth tier earlier this year with Hässleholms IF where he scored the only goal in his side’s Swedish Cup first round upset win against third tier Kristianstad.
The 20-year-old from London, who has played for Scotland at youth level, has joined the Cambodian side eleven games into their season. Svay Rieng are currently in eighth place in the twelve team league, after finishing second in the C-League last season.
Willard has joined the club after an approach from the club’s Irish manager, Conor Nestor, a 34-year-old who holds a UEFA A Licence and spent time coaching Limerick U19s in his homeland.
It’s a very intriguing move, I certainly don’t know of any other Englishmen who have played in Cambodia, although correct me if I’m wrong.
Football is a very popular sport in Cambodia though, with Svay Rieng attracting between 3,000 and 5,000 fans a match and hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic fans tuning in to watch the Premier League every week. The national team can draw crowds of up to 50,000.
Before moving to Sweden, Willard played for Southampton’s academy, making 12 appearances for the club’s under-23 side in the 2016/17 season.
After that, he spent time playing for Maidstone in the National League as well as appearing for Eastbourne Borough and Welling United in National League South.
With eleven games remaining, Willard’s job is simple. To help propel his side up the table to where they have spent most of their existence.
Good luck Harley!
English Players Abroad 
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