Azkals veteran Stephan Schrock wants young players to play in professional league in preparation for future international tournaments.

The 36-year-old skipper of the Azkals Development Team said players who started their professional careers at 22 years old will have a lot of catching up to do compared to those who started at 16 to 18 years old.

He said Filipino players would rather play for their university teams, but it will be ideal if they will be given a chance to see action in the professional ranks for the sake of long-term development.

"Among the biggest issues that we need to overcome in football is that the universities support players to turn professional," said Schrock, who is currently in Oman as part of the coaching staff of the Azkals U19 squad in the Asian Football Confederation U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers.

"I understand their scholarships pay the bills, pay the dormitory, pay the food and education, but it would help the sport a lot more if the schools would allow their students to turn pro without losing their scholarships and be able to continue their education and get their degree."