Hariss Harun facts for kids
Hariss Harun playing for Lion City Sailors during the 2023–24 AFC Champions League
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Hariss bin Harun | ||
| Date of birth | 19 November 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Singapore | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive-midfielder / Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Lion City Sailors | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2003–2007 | National Football Academy | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2011 | Young Lions | 116 | (12) |
| 2012–2013 | LionsXII | 38 | (7) |
| 2014–2021 | Johor Darul Ta'zim | 102 | (6) |
| 2017 | → Hospitalet (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2017 | → Home United (loan) | 20 | (0) |
| 2021– | Lion City Sailors | 60 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2007– | Singapore | 135 | (11) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 5 November 2022 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 December 2024 |
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Hariss bin Harun (born 19 November 1990) is a famous Singaporean professional footballer. He plays mainly as a defensive midfielder or a centre-back. Hariss is the captain for both the Singapore Premier League club Lion City Sailors and the Singapore national team. He holds a special record as Singapore's youngest ever player to play for the national team. He made his first international appearance when he was just 16 years and 217 days old!
Hariss is known for being a very flexible player. He is good at both defending and helping to create goals. Even though he usually plays as a defensive midfielder, he can also play as a centre-back, right-back, or even sometimes as an attacking midfielder. People also look up to him for his great leadership skills. He used to be the captain for LionsXII and Johor Darul Ta'zim.
Contents
Hariss Harun's Football Journey
Starting Out with Young Lions
Hariss started his football career with the Young Lions team in the S.League in 2007. He became the youngest player ever in the S-League at just 16 years, 3 months, and 18 days old. The Football Association of Singapore made a special exception for him to play, as players usually had to be 18 or older.
In 2007, Hariss won a Nike competition called 'Who's The Next'. This amazing win gave him a chance to train at FC Barcelona's famous youth academy, La Masia, in Spain. He trained there for a week with other young players from Asia. Hariss did so well that he was even named the Most Valuable Player (MVP)!
Football can be tough, and Hariss faced some injuries. In 2008, he had a serious knee injury that kept him out of the game for a year. This meant he missed important matches for Singapore. Another injury in 2010, a leg fracture, also made him miss a big tournament. Despite these challenges, Hariss's hard work was noticed. In 2010, he won the S.League Young Player of the Year award.
Playing for LionsXII
In 2011, Hariss joined the LionsXII team to play in the 2012 Malaysia Super League. He scored his first goal for the team in January 2012. Later that year, he scored his first ever hat-trick (three goals in one game!) in a huge 9–0 win. Hariss played a big part as LionsXII finished second in their first season back in Malaysian football.
In 2013, Hariss helped LionsXII become champions of the Malaysia Super League. They had an amazing season, not losing any home games. After this success, a Portuguese club, Rio Ave, offered Hariss a contract. However, he decided not to join them due to commitments in Singapore and other reasons.
Time with Johor Darul Ta'zim
After deciding not to move to Europe, Hariss joined the Malaysian club Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) in 2013. This was a big move for him. In his first season, he helped JDT win their first ever Malaysian Super League title.
A highlight of his time at JDT was in 2015 when he helped them win the 2015 AFC Cup Final. This made him the first Singaporean player to win this important Asian trophy! Hariss continued to achieve great things with JDT, winning the Malaysia Super League title multiple times.
Loan Spells
In 2017, Hariss had a chance to join a Spanish team, Hospitalet, on loan. This would have made him the first Singaporean to play in Spain. However, the move didn't work out due to some issues with the Spanish club. Hariss then returned to Singapore to play for Home United on a loan deal for a few months.
Back to Johor Darul Ta'zim
Hariss returned to JDT for the 2018 season. He continued to be a key player, helping them win more league titles. In 2019, he was made the club captain of JDT. As captain, he led the team to their first ever win in the 2019 AFC Champions League group stage against a Japanese club. He also helped JDT win the Malaysia Super League, Malaysia Cup, and Piala Sumbangsih in his first year as captain. He won more trophies with JDT in 2020 and 2021.
In May 2021, Hariss decided to leave JDT to return to Singapore. This was mainly due to family reasons, as the COVID-19 pandemic made it hard for him to travel home often.
Joining Lion City Sailors
On the same day he left JDT, Hariss signed with Lion City Sailors in Singapore. In his first season, he helped them win the 2021 Singapore Premier League. The next year, he captained the team in their first ever appearance in the 2022 AFC Champions League group stage. In 2023, Hariss lifted the 2023 Singapore Cup trophy with the Sailors. He also set a record for the most appearances by a Singaporean player in the AFC Champions League.
Playing for Singapore
Youth Teams
Hariss played for Singapore's national youth teams at all levels. He was part of the Singapore under-23 squad that won bronze medals at the Southeast Asian Games in 2007, 2009, and 2013.
Senior National Team
Hariss made his debut for the Singapore national team on 24 June 2007. He was only 16 years and 217 days old, making him the youngest player ever to play for Singapore! He broke the record held by the legendary Singaporean footballer, Fandi Ahmad.
Hariss has scored many goals for Singapore. His first senior international goal was against Laos in 2013. He has also had the honor of captaining the national team in important matches, including against strong teams like Japan and Argentina. On 14 November 2019, Hariss reached a huge milestone by earning his 100th cap for the national team. This means he has played 100 international matches for Singapore, a truly amazing achievement!
Hariss's Life Outside Football
Hariss went to St. Michael's Primary School and St. Gabriel's Secondary School. He also earned a diploma in Sport & Wellness Management from Nanyang Polytechnic.
Hariss's parents are from India, and his father, Harun bin Habib Mohamed, has always been his football advisor. His father and uncle helped him get interested in football when he was just 6 years old.
In 2014, Hariss married his girlfriend, Syahirah Mohamad. They had been together for over two years before getting married.
Hariss is so well-known that he is even featured in the video game eFootball Pro Evolution Soccer 2020! He is only the second Singaporean player to appear in a video game. In 2023, Hariss also started working as a property agent.
Honours
Club Achievements
LionsXII
- Malaysia Super League: 2013
Johor Darul Ta'zim
- AFC Cup: 2015
- Malaysia Cup: 2019
- Malaysia Super League: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020
- Malaysia FA Cup: 2016
- Malaysian Charity Shield: 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
Lion City Sailors
- Singapore Premier League: 2021
- Singapore Community Shield: 2022, 2024
- Singapore Cup: 2023
International Achievements
Singapore
- AFF Championship: 2012
- Southeast Asian Games: bronze medal 2007, 2009, 2013
Individual Awards
- S.League Young Player of the Year: 2010
- AFF Championship Best XI : 2016
- AFF Championship All-time XI
- ASEAN Football Federation Best XI: 2016, 2017
- Malaysia Super League: Team of the Season XI: 2018, 2019
- Malaysia Super League: Best Asean Player of the Year: 2019
See also
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
