KUALA LUMPUR: When Lee Tuck turned professional in England in 2007, he never thought he would be donning Harimau Malaya colours one day.
The naturalised player, who has earned two caps, is part of coach Kim Pan Gon's national squad for the AFF Cup.
Malaysia will open their Group B campaign against Myanmar in Yangon on Wednesday.
"I am ready to prove my worth," said the 34-year-old Englishman, who fired a goal each in the wins over Cambodia (4-0) and the Maldives (3-0) in recent warm-up matches ahead of the AFF Cup.
"I think all 23 members of the team are well-prepared for the tournament. We are excited to take on Myanmar in Yangon."
Lee Tuck played left wing in the friendly matches, and his performances impressed Pan Gon.
"The attacking game suits my style of football as it offers me more freedom during matches. I am enjoying my football."
The opening match at Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon will be played behind closed doors, and forward Faisal Halim believes it will help ease some pressure on his team.
"Playing away is always a disadvantage. However, it is a closed-door match, so we will not have to deal with their fans. We hope to win our opening match," said Faisal.
After Myanmar, Malaysia will entertain Laos in Bukit Jalil on Saturday. The other matches are against Vietnam on Dec 27 and Singapore on Jan 3.