SINGAPORE - Talented football teen Adam Swandi has signed a two-year contract with French club FC Metz, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced in a press release today.

The 16-year-old will be training with and learning from fellow youth players at FC Metz, who have gained recognition in France and Europe for their successful youth academy. They have produced star players such as French internationals Robert Pires and Louis Saha, and Togo international Emmanuel Adebayor.

Adam’s contract will allow him to further his studies as he turns out for Metz’s Under-19 team in the Championnat National youth competitions. He will be leaving for Paris, France, tomorrow night at 11.15pm to embark on his new footballing career.

Named the Most Valuable Player at last year’s Lion City Cup, Adam had recently went a number of training stints with top European clubs such as Newcastle United, Chelsea, FC Metz and Atletico Madrid.

Metz were not the only club that Adam had impressed.

According to media reports, Dutch champions Ajax Amsterdam had also made an offer to the former Singapore Sports School student who was due to enrol at Republic Polytechnic in April.

But Adam decided to go for Metz in the end because of their famed youth academy. He will return in two years’ time to serve his national service

Said the former National Football Academy (NFA) Under-16 captain: “I would like to thank FAS, in particular President Zainudin Nordin and General Secretary Winston Lee, for securing my two-year youth contract with FC Metz as well as their commitment in training and developing me over these years. I also want to thank the Singapore Sports School for helping me fulfill my sporting potential.

“FAS helped arrange the training attachments and allowed me to gain good exposure. I was able to learn a lot at top European clubs. I am both humbled and honoured to have been singled out by some coaches and clubs in Europe.

“After much consideration, I have decided to take up FC Metz’s offer because I liked what I saw and experienced and the fact that FC Metz is a club renowned for its youth academy.

“I am definitely looking forward to further develop my footballing capabilities as well as academic studies at the club.”

Zainudin said: “We believe the two-year stint at the club will benefit both Adam and local football. We hope this will further inspire other youth players to work hard and raise their game to the next level.”

Stressing that youth development is one of the core areas of the FAS’ Strategic Plan, he added: “We have been sending young players for overseas exposure regularly to facilitate their development and maximise their potential. Last year, FAS established a Football Development Fund which will be used primarily to send players, coaches, referees and staff for overseas attachments to enhance their capabilities and capacities.

“We are developing collaborative partnerships with our partners to systematically groom and develop our youth players. Going forward, we will also strive to secure more sponsorships and funding to support our objectives of placing our players on overseas attachments and/or assist them in securing playing contracts in foreign leagues.”

Adam is hoping that his stint in Metz can blaze a trail for his peers and other rising talents in Singapore.

“I am confident that more local youth players will have the opportunity to play in Europe to enhance their development soon, thanks to the youth development system at FAS, and its Football Development Fund.”