Tougher playing conditions, new addition to the family: Lions coach Gavin Lee on his hopes for 2026

Q: How has life changed since you became Lions coach?

Gavin Lee: Personally, not a lot has changed. My wife keeps reminding me that I’m still a husband first... and professionally, not a lot has changed also. But what has definitely changed is a little bit more attention from the outside. To be honest, initially it was a little bit awkward, a little bit uncomfortable, but you get used to it with time. But the attention is there because of

the importance of the role, the importance of the job.

That’s when, naturally, there’ll be a little bit more light on this individual. But at the same time, let’s not forget, we did something amazing in Hong Kong, so people are quite grateful.

Q: Were there any particular interactions that stood out?

Lee: At the most random places, you get people coming out and just thanking you for the achievement, and that’s very satisfying and fulfilling. It’s nice sometimes, you know, where we got coffee on the house. So I’ll never complain.

Q: Have these interactions made you realise even more how important this role is?

Lee: For sure, sometimes you never truly understand something until you experience it, so having people coming up and talking about the night in Hong Kong just helped the whole thing sink in even deeper. And a point on all these interactions is that sometimes I am also a bit malu (shy) because I didn’t kick a ball... and a lot of the recognition should go to the boys that did it.

Q: There was a viral photo of you taking the MRT on the way to your official announcement as head coach. Do you still take the train?

Lee: I still take the train. So I’ve got some messages on social media saying that they saw me on the train, and they were shy to come and say (hello), but my response is always like, feel free to come and say ‘hi’. You may make the journey better. But yes, the train rides will continue.

Q: What is a typical day in the life of a national coach like?

Lee: So a typical day, I wake up and work out, go to office by the train, get the work done, and if time permits, get a second workout, then meet my wife, go home on the train together that evening. But the biggest difference now is I don’t get the day-to-day on the grass as compared to when I was at BG Tampines Rovers, but at the same time, that doesn’t mean that there’s no work to be done because you’re still busy with all the different things.

Q: Just before the new year, you posted a series of pictures and clearly 2026 is going to be quite an important year for you for work and family. What’s the expected delivery date for your baby?

Lee: My wife and I have wanted to start a family, and in a club setting it was almost impossible. But the nature of the national team (job) and the environment allows me that space to try to accomplish that. If all things go well, hopefully it will be a mid-June delivery. Family is always first. I always tell the players, so it’ll be the same for me and my wife.

Q: Starting a family is a big moment for you. How do you feel about it?

Lee: I’m very excited. I’m just thinking which position is he going to play? No, no, I’m kidding, but just excited to have a new addition to the family. We’ve been trying for a while, but we just haven’t been successful. Personally, it’s just good to let our child see the national team and that will be quite cool, but my wife will keep reminding me that it’s not all about football.

Q: March will be your first international window with the national team as permanent head coach. What are you hoping to get done before the Asean Championship (July 24 to Aug 26)?

Lee: When we discuss the planning, it’s a bit tricky because with the Asean Championship, you never know which set of players you have, depending on whether they get released or not. So that is ultimately one consideration that we have, because that can shape decisions. But at the same time, we haven’t seen the players for quite a while now. The last time we saw them was in Hong Kong (in November), and the next time we see them is March.

We need to remind ourselves as a group that we haven’t really achieved anything. We just made the first step. So this is the start of the new journey, and so our standards and all the things that brought us there should remain.

That’s the starting point now and that’s important, because going to this Asean Championship is an important part of the preparation for the Asian Cup. We cannot waste any single window. Every time we are together is an opportunity for us to be better together. So that’s something that we cannot take for granted.

Q: Are you wary of the fact that there will be heightened expectations after the Asian Cup qualification?

Lee: These expectations are external factors, we cannot control them, right? But how I see it is, it’s good that people have expectations, because the worst thing is (when) there are no expectations. So people can expect, they should expect, especially based on what we’ve done together as a group, and then our job is to go out there and try to deliver or meet those expectations, or at least die trying. So again, it’s all about how we internalise and reframe the messaging and the narrative, to put us in the best place to work.

Q: Shortly after you were appointed, you said that you want to face tough teams. Is there a plan to face tougher teams in the course of 2026 and what do you mean by tougher teams?

Lee: In principle, we want to play teams that are higher in the rankings than us. That’s the most simplistic measurement that you can find. But it’s not just tough teams, but it’s tough conditions where we want to put ourselves in. Because in this journey, in order for us to be the most ready, or rather, if you want to play at a big table, we need to be comfortable with discomfort, and that’s by playing stronger teams or playing in tougher conditions.

And so every window we’re asking ourselves that question: How can we check those boxes? And again, me and Badri (Ghent, general secretary of the Football Association of Singapore) and colleagues at FAS, we are working hard to try to find teams that want to play us as well, that check these boxes.

So hopefully, it will start as soon as March. But every window we see as an opportunity to give us that sort of experience.