Taste Of Sabli
18 year-old Grilled International striker trainee Sabli bin Hj Danial got his break not too long after friend and junior
Nabil bin Mohd Zulkhairi, with Portuguese VI.229 club Hamburguers signing him on a free transfer - two days after the arrival of veteran winger Márcio Costa. Italian head coach Vincenzo Linetti has admittedly not been the most liberal in giving chances to youngsters, but Sabli - who was allocated the prestigious Number Nine jersey - bet on himself to be an exception.
Busy Bees scout Zulfadly bin Hj Ratano expressed confidence in his former charge too. "You don't score three hat-tricks in an international U-20 league without being immensely talented, which Sabli did. He just has that instinct in the air too, which is hard to teach."
While the other academies did not make any sales this week, they would make news of their own, beginning with the Rancher Rabbits' recruitment of prospective defender Jatin Chatterjee just nine days after his fifteenth birthday - though he would not be as highly rated as 16 year-old Gary Johnson from the week before. Russell Pham, previously cut from the Chicken Wings, would also graduate. However, he is reportedly reconsidering trying for a professional football career.
On the Chicken Wings' part, Virgil Huang caught the eye of senior scout Tham Beng Li after being recognized as the best player of the Zone D inter-school competition for Division B, but he will honestly have a tough time distinguishing himself in a Wings squad chock-full of even younger talent. "Well, we are not complaining." assistant coach Abdul bin Jantan said.
