Last Word on Football’s EFL Ones to Watch series casts an eye on the most exciting talents currently plying their trade outside the Premier League. The focus here is on one of the latest players in Crewe Alexandra’s production line, captain Perry Ng. A composed full-back who defends and passes with an air of authority rarely seen in the fourth tier, Ng has been a pivotal part of Crewe’s promotion challenge.
Perry Ng: EFL Ones to Watch
One of Their Own
The 23-year-old has been with Crewe since the age of seven, and he’s another fine example of the work that the League Two club do in producing their own players. The likes of Dele Adebola, Danny Murphy, Dean Ashton, Ashley Westwood and Nick Powell all came through the academy at Gresty Road. They’re all players that have gone on to have great careers in the higher echelons of the EFL or the Premier League, and Crewe’s club captain is destined to play in the Championship at some point in his career.
Perry Ng’s Journey to the First-Team
He made his senior debut in January 2015 whilst on loan at Hyde United, eight months after penning his first professional contract with Crewe. He stayed with the National League North club for the rest of the season, making 13 appearances and scoring once.
The following year, Ng made his Crewe debut as a League One player with the Alex. His first season as a regular at Gresty Road was in 2017-18, where he featured 38 times in League Two. Last season, Ng won the both the fans’ and Players’ Player of the Year as Crewe finished 12th. This term he’s part of a Crewe team who are flying in the League Two table, and he’s started to receive more recognition for his individual performances.
Classy in Possession
The former Hyde loanee has played 36 times for Crewe this season and has chipped in with two goals and six assists. His team sit at the top of the table, four points clear of fourth-placed Exeter and well on course for promotion until professional football in England came to a halt.
Defenders in the fourth tier are rarely noted for their composure and capability in possession, but when under pressure Ng plays with a coolness rarely seen at this level. His passing accuracy is just over 80%, which is amongst the highest in the league for full-backs.
The Railwaymen have always had a reputation for producing talented players who are comfortable on the ball. Ng ticks both of those boxes.
Not only does he keep the ball for his team, but he always looks to play dangerous forward passes that start off attacks. He averages 26.4 forward passes per game, more than any other full-back in the fourth tier. Furthermore, Ng plays an average of 12.85 passes into the final third per game – a number only bettered by Exeter’s Pierce Sweeney. So the skipper can’t be accused of just picking the safe option on the ball.
Perry Ng is a Reliable Defender
The right-back always looks in control when he’s defending, and he reads the game very well. He averages 5.19 interceptions per match, which is an excellent amount for a player in a team who average the highest amount of possession per game in the division. The 23-year-old has won 65.75% of his defensive duels this season, which illustrates how reliable he is at the back.
The fact that Ng is a captain at 23 speaks volumes about his character and leadership. Managers who like to poach players from lower league clubs would take a keen interest in his attitude off the pitch and organisational qualities.
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