The Lion City Sailors midfielder becomes the first ever Singaporean to feature for a top-flight Portuguese side
Singapore, 31 July 2024 – Lion City Sailors' Nur Muhammad Asis has secured an initial one-year loan to Portuguese Primeira Liga side C.F. Estrela da Amadora, making him the first Singaporean in history to sign a professional football contract with a top-flight club in Portugal.
Based in Amadora, northwest of Lisbon, Estrela finished 14th in the 18-team Primeira Liga last season, in their first campaign back in the Portuguese top-flight. The previous iteration of the club helped develop several notable Portuguese players, past and present, including Abel Xavier - who famously turned out for Everton and Liverpool, former FC Porto defender Jorge Andrade, ex-Manchester United winger Bebé, and current Manchester City star Rúben Dias.
Asis's talent and potential were evident from a young age. In 2016, at just 12 years old, he caught the attention of top European clubs such as Feyenoord and Galatasaray.
Asis’s progress accelerated after joining the Sailors' Elite Academy in 2020. The following year, he became part of the first cohort of players under the Lion City Sailors Early Enlistment Bond. This bond offers selected Academy trainees the opportunity to pursue early enlistment for National Service (NS) under Singapore’s Voluntary Early Enlistment Scheme after completing their secondary education, providing them with a longer period to fully focus on pursuing a career in professional football.
This paved the way for Asis to become the first player from the club’s youth setup to sign a professional contract with the Sailors following his NS completion last year. Since his promotion to the first team, Asis has made five Singapore Premier League (SPL) appearances.
Asis — who also skippers the Sailors’ Under-21 side — was then sent by the club to attend a series of trials in Portugal towards the end of the 2023 season. There, he caught the eye of local scouts, who proposed him to Estrela. Negotiations between the Sailors and Estrela went smoothly, and with the necessary administrative arrangements now sorted, Asis will finally be able to realise his dream of playing professionally in Europe.
As part of the loan, which runs till 30th June 2025, Asis will primarily train and play with Estrela’s B Team, while also turning out for the club’s Under-23 side. He will be closely monitored by the senior team coaches.
Estrela’s B Team plays in the fourth-tier Campeonato de Portugal, while their Under-23s compete in the Liga Revelação U-23, a top-level national league which they won in the 2022/23 season.
Estrela Sporting Director José Faria, who played a key role in the deal, said, “Asis has huge potential to achieve big things in football, so we’re happy to have him with us and we want him to work as hard as he can over here. We hope this marks the beginning of a fruitful partnership between Estrela and the Lion City Sailors.
“Winning the Liga Revelação U-23 last year is a testament to the strength of our youth development programme, which is dedicated to investing in young international talents like Asis. I’m extremely confident that Estrela provides the most conducive environment for a young talent from Singapore to succeed, and we look forward to contributing to his development here.”
Sailors Technical Director Luka Lalić, who coached Asis when he was just seven years old at Turf City Football Club, is confident that the 20-year-old will make a significant impact at Estrela.
“Even when he was just seven or eight years old, he would often talk about his dream of playing in Europe one day,” Lalić recounted. “Whether it was during the Gothia Cup, international matches in the Netherlands, or in Spain with the Academy, he always captivated with his play and frequently received praise and inquiries from foreign coaches.
“After overcoming multiple challenges, including the passing of his father earlier this year, he’s now ready to showcase his talents on a larger stage. This opportunity comes as no surprise. His quality has always been clear; he just needs the right environment to advance his development, and Estrela is certainly an excellent place for that.
“Given his flair, vision, and quality on the ball, he can definitely contribute to Estrela. As the first Singaporean to sign a professional contract with a Portuguese top-flight club, his future is now in his hands. It’s up to him to determine how hard he’s willing to work and fight for the next big step in his career.”
Having journeyed over 10,000 km to chase his footballing dreams, Asis is determined to give his all to secure a permanent move to a European club in the future.
He said, “This is what I’ve been aiming for since I started kicking a ball, and it still feels surreal to be at a top Portuguese club. I’m really grateful to everyone who made this move possible, especially my coaches at the Sailors Academy. They’ve made me a better player and are the reason I’m able to make this next step in my career. Many thanks as well to our club chairman, Forrest Li, for supporting this move.
“I’m really excited to wear the Estrela shirt and can’t wait to get started with the team.”
Asis’s move is yet another feather in the cap for the Sailors Academy, which consistently produces a steady stream of talent for Singapore's football ecosystem. Numerous Academy graduates have secured contracts with other SPL clubs, and a significant number of current and former academy players are regularly called up to the national age-group teams.
The Sailors Academy are one of only four academies in Southeast Asia to be conferred a Two-Star Academy status by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) under its AFC Elite Youth Scheme.
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