This is Hariss' time Midfield dynamo has the perfect stage to show he is Singapore football's new hero

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It is one of the great achievements in sport, it does not matter where you come from, the feat shouts out "special".

When Hariss Harun (picture) ran out onto the field at the old National Stadium as a substitute for Singapore in their friendly with North Korea in 2007, he nudged aside Fandi Ahmad to become Singapore's youngest international, at 16 years and 217 days. It seems as if Hariss has been around for so long already but he is only 20.

Tonight, he will collect his 18th cap when he walks out with the Lions to face their arch-rivals Malaysia at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

It is the biggest stage of all, a World Cup qualifier against the Lions' greatest rivals, with 6,000 noisy fans squeezed into Jalan Besar and a "live" audience of millions watching on television in Malaysia and Singapore.

It is time young Hariss announces himself as a midfield giant. He started out raw but as he chalked up games for the various national age-group sides, the Young Lions in the S-League and the national team, he has become increasingly comfortable in possession of the ball and a commander without it.

He is all lean muscle these days, hard as nails and armed with a ferocious bite in the tackle. His personal duel with talented Malaysian captain Mohd Safiq Rahim, 24, could well decide the outcome of the Causeway derby,

I am sure Hariss will not be fazed. Ever since father time caught up with Fandi Ahmad and V Sundramoorthy, Singapore have been crying out for the next football hero.

For some time now, pacy and skilful Khairul Amri gave us hope but injuries and, of late, a personal issue, have raised a huge question mark on whether the 26-year-old can live up to his promise.

The likes of Hanafi Akbar and Adam Swandi are still at least a couple of years away from a Lions' debut, and there are many imponderables in between that could unhinge the exciting teenagers.

Hariss' style is unlike all of them.

There is no mesmerising dribbling ability in his armoury. He cannot gobble up goals at a fast rate. But he is the archetypal central midfielder that can drive his team forward with a powerful run.

He reads the game well and can turn opponents meek with one shuddering challenge. He is a leader who must talk and calm 21-year-old goalkeeper Izwan Mahmud, who will make his Singapore debut tonight in a frenzied cauldron. After all, he will know what it is like as only a few years ago he was in Izwan's position.

Safuwan Baharudin, 19, will be the youngest on the field, if as expected, he takes his place beside Daniel Bennett at the heart of the Lions' defence, and the Courts Young Lions player will look to his club captain, more than anyone else, for inspiration.

Singapore do have other match-winners in the likes of captain Shahril Ishak, and striker Aleksandar Duric, despite his pensionable football age of 40 years.

But I believe much rests on Hariss' shoulders.

Most of the time it is unfair to burden someone so young. But I have watched him and he carries himself magnificently off the field and is all business on it. He is mature enough to handle it.

Malaysian coach K Rajagobal has cleverly tried to muddle the psyche of the Singapore team by constantly trotting out how the Lions have been boosted by a number of exotic stock but Avramovic's XI that start tonight will feature only two - Mustafic Fahrudin and Shi Jiayi. But Avramovic has worked his players hard over the last few days.

Singapore go up against a Malaysian team with admirable promise, who own a confident strut. Jalan Besar tonight will not be for the faint-hearted. If Hariss roars, the rest of the Lions will follow, leaving the Tigers wounded.