Another Singaporean footballer in Portugal as Khairin Nadim joins second-tier club Vizela

SINGAPORE – Once the Singapore Premier League’s (SPL) youngest debutant at just 15, Khairin Nadim will be taking a major step in his football career with a move to Portugal.

In a media statement on Feb 5, the Lion City Sailors announced that the 20-year-old, who can play as a winger or striker, has clinched a 1½-year deal with Portuguese second division side FC Vizela, after impressing during a trial.

Khairin, who has signed a contract till June 2026, will feature primarily for Vizela’s Under-23s. He could feature in their next game on Feb 25 against Benfica B.

“I’m grateful to the Sailors not just for shaping me into the player I am today, but also for creating this incredible opportunity for me,” said Khairin, who joined the Sailors’ academy in 2023. 

“Playing in Europe has always been my goal, and I’m happy to be able to realise this dream.

“I’m not just representing the Sailors, but also Singapore as a young player here. I’ll train hard, prove myself and show that I belong on the big stage.”

Khairin first shot to prominence when he made his SPL debut at just 15 years and 298 days with the Young Lions in March 2020, which made him the league’s youngest player at the time.

That record has since been surpassed by Raoul Suhaimi (15 years 239 days) in 2021 and Nathan Mao (15 years and five days) in 2023.

Khairin is also the SPL’s second-youngest Singaporean goalscorer – behind Hariss Harun (16 years and 174 days) – after netting for the Young Lions against Tampines Rovers at 16 years and 194 days in November 2020.

But he has not been able to take his career to the next level in recent years.

While he has represented Singapore at the youth level, he has yet to earn a call-up to the senior national team.

In the 2024-25 SPL season, he scored and assisted only once for the Young Lions in 16 appearances.

After completing national service, he rejoined the Sailors in November 2024 and the club set up trials for him with Vizela.

Vizela sporting director Toni Dovale said they have been investing a lot in their youth development programme and “signing top international talent is a part of our step forward as a club”.

Dovale, who said he had heard “very good things about Khairin” before watching him in action, added: “That proved to be the case in his trials with us, and we’re excited to see how far his potential can take him.”

Vizela’s first team currently compete in Liga Portugal 2 where they sit eighth in an 18-team league that includes the B teams of Portuguese giants Benfica and Porto. 

The Sailors said that “Vizela have demonstrated a strong commitment to youth development” with 16 of their Under-23 players featuring for the first team over the past four years – a pathway that Khairin will be determined to follow.

Vizela’s current top scorer in Liga Portugal 2, Nigerian forward Prosper Obah, was part of the club’s Under-23 squad as recently as last season.

Sailors’ technical director Luka Lalic, who described Khairin as “technically gifted, quick to find solutions in tight spaces, and adept at beating defenders with his pace and natural flair”, has backed the youngster to succeed at Vizela.

“Khairin has the kind of abilities that make him stand out from the crowd,” said the Serb. “He’s earned this opportunity to compete in Portugal, and he must make the most of these 18 months to prove he’s ready for the next step in his development.”

This is not the first time that the Sailors, Singapore’s only privatised side, have brokered a move to Portugal for their players.

Last July, Sailors attacking midfielder Nur Muhammad Asis became the first Singaporean to sign a professional contract with a top-flight Portuguese club when he

inked a one-year loan deal with Estrela da Amadora.

The 20-year-old, who has made several appearances for Estrela’s U-23s, provided two assists in a 3-2 victory over Estoril Praia’s U-23s in November 2024. This has stoked Khairin’s desire for a European sojourn.

“My friend Asis is doing well in Portugal, and that motivates me. It makes me believe that taking this step is possible,” said Khairin.

There are at least three more Singaporeans who are pursuing their football dreams there – teenagers Aymann Aris, 14, and Krishav Ram, 15, who are with SC Salgueiros’ youth team and former Sailors midfielder Matin Ilhan, 21, who is with SC Rio Tinto.