The heartbeat of the team

Source

Hariss Harun, 20, men's football

National Serviceman

His third SEA Games and first as captain

IN DEFENCE, midfield or even leading the attacking line, he has been deployed everywhere along the spine for the Courts Young Lions.

Already a talisman for his club, central midfielder Hariss Harun is not afraid to take the game by the scruff of the neck anywhere on the park he is deployed.

There are huge expectations on the skipper of the national under-23 team, who have been tasked to qualify for the final of the 26th SEA Games in Indonesia.

Singapore have never struck gold in football, even with the likes of Fandi Ahmad and V Sundramoorthy in the team in the '80s. While Hariss and company have been tasked with matching the silver-medal exploits of the greats, the 20-year-old is quietly confident that if they play to plan, history will beckon.

He is the youngest player to wear the Lions' shirt when he played against North Korea in 2007, aged just 16 years and 217 days, and it is this drive and belief that has seen him become a key player in the national team.

It is SEA Games glory that Hariss is after now, and he will have to turn in match-winning performances if Singapore are to reach the final.

Favourite club and footballer?

My favourite club is Liverpool and Steven Gerard is my favourite player. When I was younger I always wanted to be like him. His leadership since he's taken over as captain really inspires me; and he's dragged Liverpool to victory so many times.



Tell us something most people don't know about you.

I'm very concerned about routines, I plan things to be done way ahead of time, and when my friends decide at the last minute to meet and head out, I get uncomfortable ... I feel miserable, lost, if my routine is messed up.



What are your immediate goals?

Right now it's to do well at the SEA Games, and more importantly to come back with a medal. We want to do better than the last two bronze-medal performances.