Young Lions FC

By entering the Young Lions into the S.League, the FAS hopes to expose young players to top-level competition, thus helping to prepare them for international tournaments such as the Southeast Asian Games. While the bulk of the Young Lions squad is made up of members of Singapore's national under-23 team, the club also takes in promising young foreign players (e.g. Luka Savić). However, foreign players are normally only recruited into the Young Lions squad if they could potentially change their nationality to Singaporean and be eligible to play international football for Singapore at some point in the future.

In 2011, the Football Association of Singapore and the Football Association of Malaysia reached an agreement that would see greater cooperation between the two nations. One of the intended avenues will see Young Lions play in the Malaysian Super League and Malaysia Cup from 2012 onwards, the first time a Singaporean team has participated in Malaysian domestic football since Singapore won the 1994 M-League and Malaysia Cup double. Although the new Singapore team will have the existing Young Lions set up at its core, the squad will be permitted up to five local players over the age of 14–16 players, as well as a number of overseas players in accordance with the quota set out by the rules of the Malaysian competitions the team will play in.[2]

Ultimately though, a new team was created for the Malaysia league: the LionsXII, while Young Lions remained in the S.League.

Most of the Young Lions players come from the NFA (National Football Academy) and new players (from the NFA) will be promoted to the Young Lions squad every season.

The National Football Academy enters both the Singapore NFA U-17 and Singapore NFA U-18 teams into the Prime League to allow their players to gain more exposure and match experience by playing against older and more established players.[3]

• 2003 saw the introduction of penalty shoot-outs if a match ended in a draw in regular time. Winners of penalty shoot-outs gained two points instead of one.

• Main sponsor: Garena
• Kit supplier: Nike

As of 10 February 2020[4]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Nurshafiq Zaini 4 DF Danish Irfan Azman 6 MF Jacob Mahler (captain) 8 MF Rezza Rezky 9 FW Fikri Junaidi 10 FW Shahrulnizam Mazlan 11 MF Rasaq Akeem 13 FW Shahib Masnawi 14 FW Marc Ryan Tan 15 DF Asraf Zahid 16 DF Ryhan Stewart 17 MF Ilhan Fandi

No. Position Player 18 GK Ridhwan Fikri 19 FW Khairin Nadim 20 MF Nor Hakim Redzuan 21 DF Sahffee Jubpre 22 DF Nur Adam Abdullah 23 DF Harhys Stewart 24 DF Danial Scott Crichton 25 DF Akmal Azman 28 DF Syed Akmal 30 GK Karan Sobti 31 DF Qayyum Raishyan 45 DF Akram Azman

Source:[7]

• Official club website
• S.League website page on Young Lions