Lions stalwart Safuwan Baharudin returns to the Singapore Premier League after 14 years
That was 2011 and Safuwan was an up-and-coming player with the Young Lions.
Now, 14 years later, Safuwan is back home as a Lions veteran. The 33-year-old has joined
Singapore Premier League and Singapore Cup champions Lion City Sailors on a season-long loan from Malaysia Super League (MSL) giants Selangor FC.
'To be honest, I have not been counting the years. But it feels surreal knowing it has been that long,' said Safuwan, who has 124 caps for the national team. 'When I was still playing for the Young Lions, there were very different teams to what there are now. I remember playing against Beijing Guo'an Talent (2010) and Etoile.
'But I am excited to be back and I want to give credit to Selangor, for agreeing to this deal. The Sailors came in strong, we had a good discussion on what we can expect of each other. That was important to me.'
The loan move ends
a period of uncertainty for Safuwan, who was left in limbo at Selangor .
Safuwan made his professional debut in 2009 with the Young Lions and made 58 appearances in the local competition before joining LionsXII – the now-defunct Singapore team in the MSL – from 2012 to 2015. He had a memorable, but short loan stint in the A-League with Melbourne City in 2015.
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A year later, his journey as a foreign player in Malaysia started. He joined PDRM in 2016 and spent two seasons there, initially in the MSL before a season in the second-tier Malaysia Premier League after PDRM were relegated. He then joined Pahang FA for the 2018 season and won the Malaysia FA Cup before he was snapped up by Selangor for the 2020 season.
Safuwan left the Red Giants to join Negeri Sembilan for the 2023 season, but rejoined Selangor later that year. In two stints, he racked up 71 appearances with Selangor, donned the captain's armband and was also a firm fans' favourite.
But in June, The Straits Times reported that although he still had a year left on his contract with Selangor, the centre-back had been told he was no longer part of their plans for next season.
The ambiguity surrounding his career took a personal toll on Safuwan, who in the past two weeks, had even been made to train with the club's Under-23 side.
'It was very tough mentally. After the last national team break, there was still a lot of uncertainty and I was not sure what was going to happen in terms of my club career. But I am glad that now everything is in place and it feels good to know that I am in a club of the Sailors' calibre,' said the centre-back, who has also been deployed in midfield or even up front on numerous occasions.
As he looks back on his time in Malaysian football, Safuwan is grateful for the experience which has shaped him as a footballer.
While he admitted that he is unsure if that spells the end of his Malaysian stint, he is looking forward to showcasing his ability to Singapore football fans on a more regular basis as well as win over new fans.
Safuwan said: 'When you are away and miss out playing here for so long, not many of the newer generation know you too well. Yes, they do see me playing for the national team but it is a bit different to playing week in and out. Now it's time for me to prove myself. It doesn't matter what credibility that you had before, if you don't come back and prove yourself.'
In sorting out Safuwan's immediate future, the Sailors have also added arguably the best local defender to a backline that already has two players who made last season's SPL Team of the Year – Australian defender Bailey Wright and Croatian centre-back Toni Datkovic.
Sailors' executive director Bruce Liang said: 'Safuwan is a proven top player in the region. His calming presence, winning mentality and versatility will add valuable strength and depth to our squad.'
The Sailors will be looking to go on a deep run in the AFC Champions League Two again, improve on last season's display in the Asean Club Championship – where they were knocked out at the group stage – and defend their domestic titles.
Safuwan said: 'I have already looked out for the first match of the season which is the Community Shield and I can't wait to get started. This club has made the ACL2 final and still wants to do better and I am going to do my best and help them progress even more.'
The Sailors' season will kick off with the Community Shield clash against BG Tampines Rovers on Aug 16, followed by SPL's first round on Aug 23.
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