No quit in Singapore defender Ryhan Stewart even as the going gets tougher in Lithuania

Straits Times

2 days ago

Fullback Ryhan Stewart taking part in a national team training session at Kallang Football Hub on June 3 ahead of the June internationals against the Maldives and Bangladesh. PHOTO: FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE
No quit in Singapore defender Ryhan Stewart even as the going gets tougher in Lithuania
SINGAPORE – Ryhan Stewart had always dreamt of playing professionally in Europe and just as he celebrated accomplishing that goal after making his bow for Lithuanian top-flight side FK Riteriai in April, the Singaporean footballer witnessed the tumultuous nature of the sport.
Days after his debut for the club, with whom he signed a two-year contract, media reports emerged that Riteriai were in financial turmoil. Suddenly, Stewart's career looked to be in limbo.
Singapore-based sports marketing and player development firm Red Card Global, which had entered into an agreement to acquire Riteriai on Jan 20, pulled out of the deal and said it would be initiating legal action against the sellers for 'misrepresentation, breach of agreement and the unauthorised use of funds committed in good faith'.
It left the Lithuanian top-tier club on the verge of bankruptcy.
'As a footballer, I know this career has its ups and down, there are a lot of highs and a lot of lows. So you can never get carried away. This is the real side of football,' said Stewart on June 3, after returning to Singapore for a national team training camp.
Stewart, who has made seven starts and two substitute appearances for Riteriai since his transfer, had the option of leaving the club but the 25-year-old fullback decided to stay on.
Stewart said: 'I feel the Lithuanian league is a good place to grow as a footballer. A lot of players come through here and go on to bigger leagues in Europe.
'I don't want to just go there and then just leave after two months. That's not what my initial plan was, so I want to stay and play as many games as I can and show what I can do.'
On April 4, Riteriai said on their website that they are experiencing financial difficulties and attributed the situation to 'investors' unfulfilled obligations'.
A report on the Baltic Football News website on May 16 stated that the club are up for sale. The report also added that 'the clock is ticking' and that 'the club now finds itself on the edge of collapse.'
The Lithuanian Football Federation had already stepped in once, and transferred €50,000 (S$73,400) to Riteriai in early April to cover overdue wages and rent but LFF president Edgaras Stankevicius has said there will not be any additional help.
When asked if he faced any issues, such as late payment of wages, Stewart said 'there's obviously been some difficulties' but declined to elaborate, stating that his club, coach and teammates have been 'very helpful'.
His main objective, said the versatile player who can play as a fullback or winger, is to help his side avoid relegation.
Fourteen matches into the 36-game A Lyga season, Riteriai are ninth out of 10 teams with two wins, four draws and eight losses. The bottom side will be relegated, while the ninth-placed club will face the second-placed team from the second tier in a two-legged play-off for the final place in the top flight.
Adding that matches in Lithuania have been physically demanding – he runs almost 2km more per match than the 10km he clocked while in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) – Stewart believes he will benefit from the experience of being involved in a relegation dogfight.
'It's a good experience, because in the SPL there's no relegation, so you don't feel that pressure where every game and every point matters. Every single game is like a final,' said Stewart, who played in the SPL for Albirex Niigata, Warriors FC and the Young Lions, in addition to stints in Thailand with Chiangmai and BG Pathum United.
'We're ready to fight for each other and to try and get as many points as possible and help the club move higher up the league.'
Riteriai coach Nikola Vitorovic also believes Stewart will emerge as a better player after his time in Lithuania.
He said: 'In general, he is a good boy, a hard worker and I believe he has adapted well. He is defensively very good, very fast.
'He is working on being better with the ball when he is in attacking situations, but I expect that he will be a better player after his stint in Lithuania.'
For now, the situation in Lithuania will take a back seat as Stewart shifts his focus to the Lions, who face Maldives in an international friendly at the Bishan Stadium on June 5, before the Asian Cup third-round qualifier against Bangladesh on June 10 at the National Stadium in Dhaka.
All four teams in Group C have a point apiece after Singapore opened their campaign with a 0-0 home draw with Hong Kong at the National Stadium while Bangladesh held India to the same scoreline at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong on March 25. Only the winners of the six groups will qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup.
Stewart, who has 25 caps, said: 'All of us are raring to go. We really want to show what we can do in the friendly and we're all fighting for our place for the qualifier too. Our plan is to win both games.'
Deepanraj Ganesan is a sports journalist at The Straits Times focusing on football, athletics, combat sports and policy-related news.
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