Ryhan Stewart bent on proving his worth after joining FK Riteriai in Lithuania’s top tier

SINGAPORE – Albirex Niigata’s Ryhan Stewart will bring his dazzling darts down the flank to foreign shores after realising his dream to play in Europe.

The Singapore international, who plays as a right-back or winger, signed a two-season contract with Lithuanian top-tier side FK Riteriai on March 15.

Before flying off on March 26 to Lithuanian capital Vilnius, where his new team are based, he told The Straits Times: “The first goal is to cement my place in the starting XI.

“I want to play as much as I can and put in good performances to help the team finish as high as possible. Hopefully, we can also qualify for European club competition.”

Stewart conceded that, while he does not know much about Lithuanian football, he hopes it can be a launch pad for greater things.

The 25-year-old said: “I know where Lithuania is, bordering the Baltic Sea, and the sporting director also shared with me more about Riteriai, and he felt that my style fits the club.

“European football is the peak of football at the moment, and it’s probably where the best football is played. So, why not try and get into that?

“Hopefully, once I’m in the system here, it’s easier to move around and play in the continent. I want to show that I can play well there and hopefully, this opens a way for more Singaporeans to play in Europe.”

His move was facilitated by former Singapore international R. Sasikumar, whose sports marketing and player development agency, Red Card Global, is in the midst of finalising an agreement to acquire Riteriai.

Stewart will follow in the footsteps of other Singaporeans who had recent experiences of playing in Europe, such as Khairin Nadim and Nur Muhammad Asis (currently with Portuguese clubs), brothers Ilhan and Ikhsan Fandi (Belgium and Norway respectively) and Ahmad Hakimputra (Hungary).

Nicknamed the Knights, Riteriai’s best finish in the top flight came in 2015 and 2016 when they finished second. They were relegated in 2023 but bounced back to win the second division title and promotion the following season.

They have also played in the Europa League qualifying rounds six times but have yet to reach the tournament proper.

Three games into the current A Lyga season, Riteriai are ninth of 10 teams after two draws and a loss. Their next match is away to third-placed FC Hegelmann
on March 29.

Born in the Republic to a Welsh father and Malay Singaporean mother, Stewart developed at local clubs such as Warriors FC and Home United before signing his first professional contract with Tampines Rovers in 2018. Subsequently, he joined Warriors and the Young Lions, before playing in Thailand for Chiangmai and BG Pathum United.

When he was in London to visit family and friends in June 2024, his desire to play in Europe prompted him to contact clubs, despite interest from Thai and Indonesian sides.

For three months, he went for trials with teams in Ireland, Austria and Spain but work-permit issues scuppered a move to Austrian second division team SKN St Polten. After a fruitless search, he

accepted a deal with Albirex

until the end of the 2025-26 Singapore Premier League season.

Relishing his maiden stint in Europe, Stewart said: “It helps that I have played with Chiangmai and BG Pathum in Thailand. I’ve learnt how to take care of myself, cook, put in extra hours in the gym, not spending the whole day on the phone, and not being homesick.

“There will obviously be other challenges, like the cold weather and the physical nature of the game in Europe, but I’m looking forward to adapting and doing well.”

Stewart, who has 25 caps, was part of Tsutomu Ogura’s 24-man squad for the 1-0 friendly loss to Nepal last week and

the 0-0

Asian Cup qualifying draw against Hong Kong

at the National Stadium on March 25.

The Japanese coach said: “It is important which country and which league they are going to, and so are the number of games and minutes they play. They become foreigners and have to fight for limited spots, which is good to keep them competitive.

“It’s good for Singapore players to go overseas because they experience different cultures, languages, playing styles and environment, after which they can add value to the national team.”