“Made me realize my worth again”: Juan Gomez de Liaño on Gilas call-up after three years

Converge FiberXers’ star Juan Gomez de Liaño has received a major professional boost, earning a call-up to the Gilas Pilipinas pool by head coach Tim Cone for the first time in three years as the national team began training for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.

Gomez de Liaño has been in outstanding form for Converge in the ongoing 2025 PBA Philippine Cup, earning three PBA Press Corps Player of the Week honors so far. He first won the award during opening week (October 5–12) and again for October 22–26. Impressively, he recorded consecutive triple-doubles in his first three games, including a historic performance in a 129–92 win over the Titan Ultra Giants, becoming the first rookie since Scottie Thompson in 2016 to achieve the feat in his PBA debut.

Cone praised the young star, calling him “the best player in the league,” and Gomez de Liaño admitted that joining the national team was a “huge confidence boost.”

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“He just gave me a lot of praise towards my game. For him to recognize that is what I said, it’s such a blessing. Coach Tim, we all know he is one of the greats, not just in the PBA level, but internationally,” Gomez de Liaño said.

“It kind of made me realize my worth again. It took me three years since my last Gilas stint. I’m here, I have so much to prove and I kind of have a chip on my shoulder. Now that I’m back, I’m trying to help the team in whatever way I can,” he added.

Juan Gomez de Liano on getting the call-up to the Gilas Pilipinas pool for the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers and his conversation with coach Tim Cone | @jonasterradoINQ pic.twitter.com/sfpoAsxJXs

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The former UP Fighting Maroons standout revealed he was at the beach when he got the call from Cone, cutting his two-day holiday short immediately.

“I think it was after the Ginebra game. We had a two-day off so I went to the beach with my brothers. So the following day, I received a call from Coach Tim. Basically, he was asking for my commitment, wanting me to join the pool. For me it’s the national team, it’s always a go signal. It’s a no-brainer, you know. I’d do anything to represent my country,” Gomez de Liaño continued.

Despite being just 26, the young star has already gained valuable experience and is adapting quickly to national team training, aided by his familiarity with Cone’s system.

“It’s been good, honestly. I was already familiar with the way Coach Tim Cone runs his system. Within those two days, I have learned a lot, especially for my teammates. We have a really good squad and a lot of veterans, especially the coaching staff. It’s been a great learning experience so far.

“It feels really good to reunite with the whole squad. It’s such a fun environment to be in. We always look at a bigger picture. We are doing this not just for our families, our team, but for the entire nation, the whole country,” he concluded.

The Philippines are set to face Guam in home-and-away fixtures in the first window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers on November 28 and December 1.

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