John Herdman Explains Why Beckham, Klok, and Eliano Were Left Out of Indonesia Squad
Indonesia national team head coach John Herdman has explained his decision to leave out three Persib Bandung players — Beckham Putra, Marc Klok, and Eliano Reijnders — from the squad for the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026.
Herdman has named 23 players to represent Indonesia at the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026. However, Beckham Putra, Marc Klok, and Eliano Reijnders were not included in the squad.
The decision attracted attention, particularly because all three players are important figures for Persib Bandung. However, Herdman stressed that his squad selection was based on the team’s needs, particularly the player profiles required for each position.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Indonesia’s match against Singapore on Thursday afternoon (September 24), Herdman explained that tactical requirements and the team’s playing identity were the main factors behind his squad selection.
According to Herdman, each position requires a specific player profile that fits the system he wants to implement. Therefore, leaving out Beckham, Klok, and Eliano does not mean that he questions their quality.
“As I said to them, their club performances and their career journey will prove themselves consistently. The players you specifically mentioned, it all comes back to player profiles,” John Herdman told reporters, including Vivagoal.
“I look at which players in their positions can provide the profile that fits the identity of play that can bring us success. For those players, it has absolutely nothing to do with their attitude, commitment, or desire to play for Indonesia,” he added.
Herdman also revealed that he continues to monitor the players’ performances at club level. However, club form was not the only factor considered when selecting the 23-man squad for the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026.
He admitted that selecting the squad was not an easy task. One of the difficult decisions was leaving out Indonesia captain Jay Idzes, who is currently sidelined with an injury.
Idzes picked up the injury while playing for U.S. Sassuolo Calcio against Juventus in Serie A. The injury forced the defender to miss out on Indonesia’s squad for the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026.
“It was very difficult to select 23 players for this tournament. I mean, even without Jay (Idzes), our captain, that’s a huge loss for us.”
“I was also pleased to see Kevin Diks wearing the captain’s armband. He absolutely deserves it. For the players who haven’t been selected, the door is always open,” he explained.
Herdman emphasized that leaving Beckham Putra, Marc Klok, and Eliano Reijnders out of the squad does not mean the door to the Indonesia national team is closed for them.
The English coach stressed that players who are not currently part of the squad still have an opportunity to represent Indonesia in the future. However, for the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, Herdman could only select 23 players based on the team’s requirements.
