Wild Energy!
Tian Yonghang further bolstered the Grilled Birds squad without warning, in bringing 28 year-old defender
Genki Nagano in from S-League club Arcturules. The transaction cost the Birds approximately S$9 million, or more or less the same that Arcturules had paid to TeamNigma some five seasons ago.
To Tian, Genki filled several needs in his setup. "We have needed a defender or defensive midfielder with real pace for some time, which is one of Genki's strengths. His long tenure in the local leagues, including in the S-League, is a plus, and when factoring in his national U-20 and Challenger Cup-winning experiences, he has the background and record to fit into our team."
Genki's on-field maturity was a further plus point, with the new Number Two also having some history with the Birds. He was an unused substitute in TeamNigma's 8-1 battering of a rebuilding Grilled side nine years ago, still one of the biggest defeats the Birds have seen, and thereafter faced Grilled Birds thrice with Arcturules just two seasons back. This would include a Singapore Cup defeat leading into Grilled's Sapphire Challenger Cup-winning campaign, before a 4-4 away draw, and then a 7-1 home victory.
The man himself was excited by the new challenge before him, with Finnish head coach Jouko Hyvärinen regarding him as surplus to requirements, after the recent buy of 24 year-old Awwadi Hilmi from Kilfee FC, which brought the Irish club a pretty profit. "Grilled Birds have a strong record of winning silverware, and from what Tian has assured me, they are eyeing a return to the top division very soon."
