IPOH, Oct 31 — Perak midfielder D. Kenny Pallraj said that winning the Malaysia Cup had boosted his confidence for the AFF Suzuki Cup competition, which will begin on November 8.

The 25-year-old was among five Perak players who have been called up to the national team ahead of the tournament.

"Securing the Malaysia Cup has given me more confidence. I hope the confidence will help in the competition,” he told Malay Mail when contacted.

"I’m still undergoing recovery following the injury on my right foot in the final. Hopefully, I will join the training tomorrow,” he added.

Trailing two goals, Perak brought in box-to-box midfielder Kenny to stabilise the midfield and he did the job by thwarting Terengganu’s counter attack and aiding Perak’s relentless attack in the second half.

Kenny’s physical presence in the midfield has certainly brought a change to the game as they managed to equalise, which then led them to win the Cup via penalty shootouts after the match ended in a 3-3 draw in the extra time.

Kenny said winning the Malaysia Cup was a breakthrough for him as people finally noticed his role in the team.

"I have been doing the same role in every single game, but didn’t get the recognition as how I got after winning the cup.

"However, it did not disappoint me. I keep improving myself and I’m glad that people finally realised the goal scorers are not the only match winners, but the whole team, including midfielders who stop the opponent from attacking or creating chances,” he said.   

Despite being a tenderfoot in the senior team, Kenny said that he is comfortable with the players as some of them had previously played with him in Harimau Muda.

"So far, I have no problem with the training. Everything seems fine. Tan Cheng Hoe is a great coach, his tactics and style of coaching are easier to adapt,” he said.

Kenny received his first senior call-up back in July for a friendly against Fiji. However, his chances only came in the match against Sri Lanka, where he came from the bench to display a stunning performance.

Four days later, he was listed in the first-11 in the match against Kyrgyzstan.

"My target is not merely getting a permanent role or be in the starting 11 in the team. What we want to achieve is to reach the final and win the AFF Cup,” he said. 

Malaysia is placed in Group A along with Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar.

When asked whether his contract has been extended in Perak, Kenny said that he wants to fully focus on the national team for the AFF Cup before deciding his future with Perak.