Subri Steal
Grilled have added another ex-youth international to their growing stable of players who have represented their country - 23 year-old forward
Subri bin Ku Zainol is no stranger to the local climate, as he has lived most of his life in Selangor just a day's drive up the Causeway.
Subri caused waves when he was the subject of a S$4.5 million transfer when just seventeen years old, when he changed hands from one Malaysian Division Three club to another. New owners EmErIc United promoted to Division Two soon after Subri's arrival, but since then both club and player have not exactly enjoyed the best of fortunes.
Subri made it to the U-20 team, but failed to impress in a three-nil defeat to Estonia and never featured again for his country's youth side. EmErIc meanwhile fell back to Division Three, changed its name to Winwin United, and lost some of its fan base in relocating to Kuala Lumpur. A disastrous start to the season convinced them to let Subri go, with Subri's parting gift of a Cup goal poignantly not being enough to save them from getting knocked out of the Malaysia Cup.
The striker was initially set for another intra-Division Three move, this time to neighbouring club Giamino FC, but his agent persuaded him to plunge into the S-League and further his career. At S$1.83 million, Subri's valuation may be less than half that of six years ago, but Grilled are convinced that they have gotten another winner at a bargain.
Grilled refused to comment on whether this indicates that the 32 year-old
Ola Martinsson is finally getting eased out. "We give all our guys a chance to fight for their place," Alcántara said, deflecting the question. "Subri comes at an opportune time, though, since van Liere's injury opens a spot up for him. I think he was unlucky not to get more chances at youth level, and I'm betting on him to show Malaysia just what they missed in his stay here."
Heartingly, the supporters appeared to approve of having a sort of "local" in the squad. "Of course, I would have preferred dyed-in-the-blood Singaporean talent, but we got to take what's available, and this Subri's got some pedigree. It'll remind some of the old days when our national team was in the Malaysian league system, too." restaurant cook Toh Ah Chye said.
