‘Manned-up’ Jacob Mahler moves from Madura to Muangthong in pursuit of football dreams

SINGAPORE – Having excelled in his first season abroad with Indonesian club Madura United, national footballer Jacob Mahler is ready for the challenge of playing in South-east Asia’s strongest league.

The 24-year-old has joined Thai League 1 side Muangthong United, inking a one-year deal on July 3 with an option for another year’s extension.

He told The Straits Times: “The Indonesian league is on the way up, but Thailand has the best league now and this is the best option to grow further in the next step of my career.

“It’s a step up for me. I’m excited to embark on this journey with one of the biggest clubs in Thai League 1, and this is a good opportunity to showcase my abilities.”

Muangthong won the league in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2016 and once boasted top Thai internationals such as playmaker Chanathip Songkrasin and dynamic left-back Theerathon Bunmathan before they furthered their careers in Japan.

Since then, the Kirins have been overtaken by other clubs. In the 2023-24 season, they finished fifth in the 16-team league, below Buriram United (champions), Bangkok United (2nd), Port FC (3rd) and BG Pathum United (4th).

But Mahler believes his new team can deliver success again, with young locals such as former Leicester City player Thanawat Suengchitthawon and experienced imports like former Liverpool defender Aly Cissokho, executing their brand of high-intensity, hard-running football under new Italian coach Gino Lettieri.

There will also be the rivalry subplot with fellow Lions and best mates – Irfan Fandi (Port), Ikhsan Fandi (Pathum) and Harhys Stewart (Chiangrai United).

While Muangthong may not have many individual stars, Mahler believes they have a good chance of achieving something with their work ethic.

The 1.84m utility player is looking forward to playing alongside Cissokho, adding: “Aly is a top professional who has played at the highest level, and the good thing is he speaks English so we can communicate.

“I’m a Manchester United fan but there’s no problem with him being a former Red when we can play with and learn from such an experienced player like him.”

Born in Copenhagen to a Danish father and Singaporean mother, Mahler moved to Jakarta when he was two before the family relocated to Singapore in 2004.

In May 2023, he joined Madura on a one-year contract and has evolved from a reliable defender into a defensive midfield bedrock.

He played 30 games, contributed to 10 clean sheets and scored once during the regular season as the Racing Bull finished fourth in the 18-team league.

In the top-four championship series, he helped Madura reach the two-legged final, where they lost 6-1 on aggregate to Persib Bandung.

He said: “I started to play more in midfield in the past year and it was a breath of fresh air to go back into the middle and show what I can do on the ball, my work rate and winning possession. I enjoyed it so much but I’ll play anywhere the team need me to play.”

The past season was the first time he has lived abroad on his own, which has helped him to “man up” and learn to be independent.

Besides having to do his own laundry and housework, he also learnt how to cook. He can now whip up a mean pesto pasta with chicken, mushroom and spinach.

Playing abroad also gave him a true taste of away days in professional football as he recounted six-hour coach trips from Surabaya to Yogyakarta. Once, it took his team 12 hours to reach their hotel in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, at 2am after a three-hour flight delay and a two-hour bus ride.

“It’s tiring and takes a toll on the body, so I learnt a lot about myself and my body and how I need to recover, which is something really important as a footballer,” he said, adding that one will not experience this by playing locally.

Mahler, who has 12 caps and three international goals, hopes to continue challenging himself in the hope of earning a move to Japan, South Korea or Europe one day.

He said: “We have to take such opportunities to get out of our comfort zone and play overseas to better ourselves.

“I’m nowhere near the finished product I want to be. I can still grow and become a much better player. I’m not satisfied just being mediocre, I want to be the best I can be... and do my part to bring back the glory days for Singapore football.”