Recognised last week as the best player in the Singapore Premier League (SPL), Faris Ramli, his mazy runs and scoring feats will be absent next year when the new season kicks off.
The 27-year-old forward will instead ply his trade across the Causeway after signing for Terengganu.
The East Coast side, who finished seventh in the 12-team Malaysia Super League (MSL) this term, announced the deal yesterday.
Faris was named the SPL's best player on Oct 31, after an standout season with Hougang United. He scored 16 league goals to help them finished third behind champions Brunei DPMM and Tampines Rovers.
His win broke the Albirex Niigata stranglehold on the award stretching from 2015 to 2018.
The last local winner was former Warriors FC goalkeeper Hassan Sunny in 2014, who then moved to Army United in Thailand.
Faris will occupy Terengganu's Asean import slot, replacing Cambodian Thierry Chantha Bin.
Terengganu coach Nafuzi Zain told the club website that Faris was his top transfer target in the close season, and that he hoped the wiry forward could make a big impact for the upcoming season.
Faris told The Straits Times: "I'm very happy to sign for Terengganu, and I am looking forward to the opportunity to test myself in a league abroad again next season.
"I would also like to express my gratitude to Hougang, for giving me the chance to showcase what I can do over the past season."
He featured in the MSL for the now-defunct LionsXII, winning the league in 2013 and Malaysia FA Cup in 2015.
This will be his second stint in Malaysia. He played for Kuala Lumpur-based PKNS last year, finishing joint-top scorer with six goals. Before the start of this season, he signed for another Malaysian side Perlis but, after the club ran into financial difficulties, he returned to join Hougang.
He had previously told ST he was weighing an offer from Hougang, having also received interest from clubs in Malaysia and Thailand.
Terengganu are three-time runners-up in the top flight and their last piece of silverware was the 2011 FA Cup. They have also won the Malaysia Cup in 2001.
Faris follows in the footsteps of the late Nasir Jalil, a former Singapore international who also turned out for Terengganu.
