Young Lions are all about talent development: FAS chief

SINGAPORE — It is not a record that makes for pretty viewing.

For the past three S.League seasons, the Young Lions, effectively the national Under-23 team with two foreign signings, have finished near the bottom of the table.

The team, run by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) to compete in the domestic professional league as part of its preparations for the biennial South-east Asian Games and other regional age-group tournaments, finished last and third from the bottom in 2013 and 2014 respectively, when the league had 12 clubs, and ninth out of 10 teams last season.

With this year’s squad filled predominantly with national Under-21 players, and only one senior player in 30-year-old national striker Khairul Amri, observers are predicting a torrid season for the side.

But FAS president Zainudin Nordin is not perturbed by the prospect. In fact, he has described the team, which will reportedly be led by French coach Patrick Hesse, as “interesting”.

“Don’t judge them before their first game,” he said at yesterday’s media event to unveil Internet company Garena as the club’s new sponsor in a S$4-million, two-year deal.

“For sure, this season will not be an easy one for them … it will be a challenge, I want to be realistic in our expectations. But I am not saying we are giving up — never.

“We will enhance the talents we have with a few senior players. We are confident they will be an interesting team to watch by the time they gel and get into a rhythm.”

Zainudin also stressed that development remains the objective of the Young Lions project when asked if the team’s target this season is to avoid finishing last. “I don’t even want to talk about that,” he said. “Our way of looking at talent development is … not about the score and results of the league, but about players becoming better all the time, and they will be better players at the end of the season.”

He also hinted that the team will be playing top-quality international opponents soon.

“To develop youth at the very critical years, from 17 to 21, you need to expose them to high-quality matches and we will try to do more of that,” he said.

“From now on, you will see them play quality opponents. Their very first game is against the Under-21 side of a top Asian team. You will be surprised when we announce the teams we have arranged.”

S.League CEO Lim Chin told TODAY that there are no plans to recruit foreign players for the Young Lions, although there is still time to do so as player registration would close only in March.

ADELENE WONG