Adam Swandi must buckle down
Making his international debut for the Lions aged 17 years and 143 days, Adam Swandi was touted as the next big thing in Singapore football.
In 2013, The New Paper Dollah Kassim Award winner jetted off to France for a two-year stint with FC Metz.
Today, the 20-year-old, capped four times by Singapore, is at a crossroads after leaving the Garena Young Lions to join Home United, his first senior S.League club, along with 19-year-old Irfan Fandi Ahmad.
The forward, known for his dribbling skills, tricks and flicks at youth level, is not a shoo-in for Richard Tardy's SEA Games squad next August.
The 66-year-old Frenchman told The New Paper: "For players like Adam and Amirul Adli who have played for the national team at senior level two years ago, we expect more.
"Perhaps they thought ahead of themselves and I wasn't happy with their performances last season.
"There is a possibility that they have changed their thinking and they now want to show more and fight more.
"At the other clubs, coaches are mostly concerned with results and if these players are mostly on the bench and don't have enough playing time, they may miss the SEA Games.
"We will monitor the progress of the players. I have a list of about 30 players for the SEA Games.
"In my mind, I have about 80 per cent of the final squad. The door is open both ways for the last 20 per cent - players can fall out or force their way in."
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