Bill It To Bilal
In an unanticipated deal, Grilled Birds broke the bank for 22 year-old midfielder
Bilal Mohammad Harun, to the tune of a bumper S$11.3 million. The former Club Dinosauria trainee had been something of a star at Romania's FC MARISEL, and would fetch some S$3.6 million from now-defunct Dubai club UAE_LFC after but half a season there.
Personality clashes saw Bilal then headed for former Swiss Nationalliga A club FC Hardbrücke after another half-season, and he has since then been quietly honing his craft under Diogo Fernando Silva Pereira. He had established himself as a starter in central mid, when FC Hardbrücke informed him that he was free to seek new employment.
This was evidently a financial decision, not a footballing one, and Bilal would get inquiries from FC Oberlausitz (German Division Six), Martinelly Utd. (Latvian Division Four) and distinguished Hong Kong side Peter's Team. Bilal was keen to return home, though, and this left Grilled and Ang Mo Kio club Puh erh, with the Birds being his final choice.
Grilled head coach
Hovaness Noubaryan revealed that Bilal had been on his radar for some time. "He was a local guy who ticked almost all the boxes - nimble on his feet with and without the ball, good in the air, and a generally excellent team player. There really aren't that many of these floating around."
Bilal will wear the Number Six jersey left vacant since Wong Ping Shun's departure some six seasons ago, and pledged to live up to it. "I understand that Grilled are a club with some history, and Hovaness has assured me that we are headed for great things. I hope very much to do my part."
