Big leagues beckon five, say local coaches Three Lions, two Cubs stand out from current crop as top football agent Mendes hunts for local talent

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SINGAPORE - National midfielder Hariss Harun, goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud and defender Safuwan Baharudin, and Lion City Cup players Adam Swandi and Hanafi Akbar are Singapore footballers with the talent to play in Europe's big leagues.

Their names were on the lips of local coaches Today spoke to after the world's top football agent, Jorge Mendes, told this newspaper in an exclusive interview that he is scouting for local footballers to link up with European clubs. He revealed that the project is a collaboration with his friend, Singapore billionaire Peter Lim.

"This is really fantastic news for us," said S Varatha Rajan, Singapore Sports School's general manager of football.

"Peter Lim and Jorge Mendes are no ordinary names and have big reputations. So, if they say they are going to do something, then I believe it is going to happen. We have seen talent that never had the chance to go the full distance, but now that can happen.

"But I'd also like to see former under-16 midfielder Pravin Guanasagaran, who is just back from studies in Perth, get an opportunity. He is 18 now and similar to Hariss, but can be far better."

Safuwan, 19, Hariss, 20, and Izwan, 21, played key roles in Singapore's 5-3 defeat of Malaysia in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers on Saturday, and are likely to feature again during the return leg in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow.

Hanafi and Adam were instrumental in the under-16 and under-15 squads' second and third place finishes, respectively, in last month's Lion City Cup against top youth sides from Italy, England and Brazil.

Although the pair stood out, players in both squads shone in the tournament and could also catch Mendes' eye.

The 45-year-old has been instrumental in steering the careers of some of the top names in the sport, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Anderson, Nani and former Chelsea manager and now Real Madrid boss, Jose Mourinho.

His move to unearth stars here came after he learnt of the S$10 million Peter Lim Scholarship, launched in June last year to help less-privileged young talents.

Mendes told Today he and Lim are hoping to send at least four deserving home-grown footballers every year to clubs in Europe.

Said Courts Young Lions coach Robin Chitrakar: "Players in the youth squads all have the mental fortitude and the skills that should be developed. But there is the issue of education and their parents may want them to complete it first. After that, those who can go to Europe should be given the chance."

The opportunity to carve out a career in the continent's top clubs has come too late for older members of the Lions team. If eligible, Khairul Amri, 26, is also another who fits the bill, said Geylang coach Mike Wong.

"These guys will find it more difficult to adjust to the cultural differences, but what Mendes wants to do will benefit Singapore football if he picks players like Hariss, Izwan and 18-year-old Khairul Nizam of the Courts Young Lions.

"But the guy who will really shine is Safuwan. I worked with him in the National Football Academy, he is tough and can be a top-class player. A career in Europe can do just that."