The young Cub with a Lion's heart

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Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2011

At the 2011 Canon Lion City Cup that was held during the past fortnight, the Singapore NFA U-16 boys continued where they left off at the 2010 YOG Soccer Tournament and continued to thrill the crowd at Jalan Besar with their exciting brand of attacking football.

The Cubs, with new Japan head coach Takuma Koga at the helm, did not lose a single match throughout the tournament in normal time, but as fate would have it, went down battling in the Finals only to lose in the penalty-shootout against a free-flowing Flamengo U-15 side. A silver medal was their prize and the boys showed just why they have been touted as future senior players.

With Illyas Lee and Dhukhilan holding forte at the back, most fans must have forgotten that the Cubs’ captain, Jeffrey Lightfoot was not on the team-sheet, having suffered an injury just before the Lion City Cup which ruled him out of the prestigious competition.

Despite suffering the heartbreak of not being able to lead his team down the tunnel and to do battle on the pitch, the shy Victorian School boy was an ever-present in the stands, cheering his team on.

Speaking after the tournament, he was quick to credit the stand-in captain, Dhukhilan for doing a good job, marshalling the Cubs’ defence.

“I was happy for Dhuki when he got the armband. I already had the confidence in him as I’ve played with him before. He is a very talented player and I know that he could get the job done. I am happy for him and he is a good leader. During the tournament, he even had to play through with an injury and that was very commendable.” said Jeffrey with a smile.

Going back to his roots, he was quick to mention how his father was the man who introduced him to the wonderful world of football and a certain coach who he attributes as the person responsible for giving him his first breakthrough.

He jokingly said:” I don’t really know when it started but I remember my dad told me that he brought me to Anfield and that was one of the first few games I watched and I got very excited when I saw people playing football. And I got hooked up to the sport and my dad would bring me to the nearby parks and even under the block to play football with him.

“At the age of six or seven, he enrolled me in the Rising Football Stars and from there, I went on to join the Tampines Rovers Football Academy where I met coach Lawrence Lee, who taught me all the basics of the game and I owe it to him and he is still a big inspiration to me.”

As the captain and leader of the team, Lightfoot knows his responsibilities and cited a player from his favourite club, Liverpool FC of England as the defender he models his game around. Jamie Carragher.

“I look up to Jamie Carragher. He is a good leader both on and off the pitch. He leads by example and I also like Daniel Agger and Gerard Pique. They are ball-playing defenders and that is the kind of player I see myself as.

“On the pitch, communication is always important. It is always good to have someone motivating the rest on the field and it is a role I have come to accept. Discipline also plays a key role and I believe that it is always possible to be good at something if you try hard enough.”

Lightfoot is expected to be back in training in a couple of weeks and while he continues his rehabilitation by cycling and going for gym workouts, Singapore fans won’t have to worry that the Cubs’ captain will return rusty.

“As captain, there is always pressure to perform and they expect you to be the best player in the team and it can be hard to live up to expectations. But I will always try my best and I cannot wait to get back into training again. You can be sure I will give it my all.”

With that, the affable boy made his way home and we can be sure that the next time we see him, it will be in a pair of boots as he marshals his defence-line like the captain that we have come to know of.

Get well soon Jeff!