Reuben's leap of faith

The Star

13-07-2025

PETALING JAYA: In a quiet hotel room in Kedah, sometime in August 2022, professional footballer K. Reuben was trying to take a nap before an A1 Semi-Pro League game with Harini.
What unfolded instead would change the course of his career and the lives of hundreds of aspiring footballers across Malaysia.
Reuben established the Football First Academy in Kajang and now, it has seven branches and one is in the pipe line.
It all started with a vision.
'I was praying. The league season was ending in October, and I was worried. I've got a wife and two kids, and the thought of another financial gap like the one I had between my time at Sarawak United and Harini was troubling,' he said.
Dynamic duo: Reuben (right) with his partner Prakash Rao.
'It was like the blueprint of the academy was downloaded into my head. The name, the motto, the structure: Football First Academy. Train Like a Pro.'
It began with a modest two-month trial program in Kajang during the off-season.
Ten students signed up. Most returned in January 2023. The academy was born, not as a side project, but as a purpose.
Kajang, where Reuben himself grew up, is known for its talented footballers but never as a footballing hub when it comes to coaching.
'Back then, it was tough to find quality coaching. Until I was 18, it was either my dad or school teachers,' he said.
'We've had good players come out of Kajang such as Christie Jayaseelan, Safee Sali, Nidzam Jamil but there's talent in every small town. We just need to dig deeper.'
That mission of unearthing gems in forgotten corners has driven his academy's rapid expansion.
Having a ball: Reuben joins the players for a game.
From one humble branch in 2023 to seven today, with the eighth already in the works, Football First Academy is becoming a quiet revolution in Malaysian grassroots football.
'I didn't expect it to grow like this,' Reuben admits.
'At first, I thought I didn't need any partners. But my long-time friend and business partner, Prakash Rao, pushed me. I gave him an impossible target, 100 students in two years. He did it in one. He deserves full credit for that.'
For Reuben, football is a vehicle, not the destination.
'Sports teach life. How to get up when you fall. How to play when things aren't fair. That's what a lot of kids miss today.'
It is a philosophy embedded into the DNA of his academy. Sessions aren't just about technique or fitness. They're about grit, character, humility, and growth on and off the pitch.
'Some of our boys now play for their schools. A few even made district teams. But honestly, what matters more is who they're becoming,' he said.
While juggling his football career, he earned both a degree (Information Science) and a Masters (Sports Management). He's also a musician who plays piano and drums regularly in church. That grounding, he says, comes from his parents.
'They were supportive from day one. They taught me to be holistic. Football, yes, but life too. They also run Desa Amal Jireh, a children's home in Semenyih with nearly 100 kids. It's been running for over 40 years. That's my next chapter, I want to be involved there full-time.'
As of February 2025, Reuben's playing contract with Bunga Raya Damansara ended. With the upcoming season in limbo, his energy is now fully directed at building up Football First Academy and perhaps, something even bigger.
'I want to step away eventually and let the academy run independently. I want to spend time at Desa Amal Jireh, to give back the way my parents have.'
His wife, the quiet pillar behind it all, gave him the final push to start the academy. 'She told me, You've got everything planned ...what are you waiting for?'
What began as a whispered prayer in a hotel room has become a nationwide movement in the making. In Reuben's words – 'I thank God for giving me the blueprint to run this without being physically present all the time. I can still play, still coach, still give back.'
And whether on the field, in the academy, or at the children's home, one thing remains certain – Reuben is far from done making an impact.
FACT FILE
Name: K. Reuben
Age: 35
Profession: Former professional footballer and football academy operator
Achievements
2011-2013: Played for Malaysia five times
2012: Won the Malaysia Premier League with Armed Forces
2013: Won the Charity Shield with Armed Forces
2022: Established Football First Academy (Kajang, Nilai, Cheras, Ipoh, Rawang, Seri Kembangan, Ampang and Puchong)