Local footballers' mindset key to overseas ambition

Local footballers must be willing to take risks and make sacrifices in long, arduous journey

Saifullah Akbar (in yellow) marking his professional debut with a goal for Tampines Rovers in The New Paper League Cup in 2016. He recently turned down an offer to play for Tenerife's reserve side in the Spanish fourth tier.
Saifullah Akbar (in yellow) marking his professional debut with a goal for Tampines Rovers in The New Paper League Cup in 2016. He recently turned down an offer to play for Tenerife's reserve side in the Spanish fourth tier. TNP FILE PHOTO.
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Sports bag slung over shoulder, he has walked down quiet roads, with a tracksuit top the only thing protecting him from the cold. The destination is a friend's apartment, where a couch was the bed for the night.

David Low is no household name in the local football scene but, in pursuit of his football dream, the 34-year-old Singaporean has trawled lower leagues across the globe, far from the bright lights of the English Premier League or Spanish LaLiga.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 25, 2018, with the headline Local footballers' mindset key to overseas ambition. Subscribe