Shahril Ishak facts for kids
Shahril playing for LionsXII in 2012
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 23 January 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Singapore | ||
| Height | 1.73 m | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder, forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2002 | National Football Academy | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2003–2006 | Young Lions | 101 | (20) |
| 2007–2010 | Home United | 98 | (42) |
| 2011 | Persib Bandung | 7 | (1) |
| 2012 | Medan Chiefs | 32 | (5) |
| 2012–2013 | LionsXII | 40 | (18) |
| 2013–2016 | Johor Darul Ta'zim II | 75 | (23) |
| 2017 | Warriors | 24 | (10) |
| 2018–2021 | Lion City Sailors | 48 | (23) |
| 2021–2022 | Hougang United | 8 | (0) |
| Total | 539 | (190) | |
| National team | |||
| 2003–2018 | Singapore | 146 | (14) |
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Shahril Ishak (born on January 23, 1984) is a retired professional footballer from Singapore. He played as a midfielder or forward. Shahril was once the captain of the Singapore national team. He made history by being the first Singaporean to win the AFF Championship three times.
Shahril was part of the first group of players at the National Football Academy in 2000. Other famous players from this group include Baihakki Khaizan, Hassan Sunny, and Khairul Amri.
He led Singapore to win their fourth AFF Championship title, which was a record at the time. After this, he won the 'Most Valuable Player' award for the 2012 AFF Championship. In 2013, he was named the AFF 'Player of the Year' (Men). He was also chosen for the ASEAN Football Federation Best XI team in 2013.
Shahril also received the 'Player of the Year' award in the 2010 S.League. Later, he was included in the 'Team of the Year' for the 2018 Singapore Premier League. He even scored goals against European teams like Norway and Azerbaijan.
Contents
Shahril's Club Football Journey
Starting with Young Lions
Shahril joined the new team, Young Lions, for the 2003 S.League season. Soon after, he played his first game for the national team. After four seasons with Young Lions, Shahril moved to Home United in 2007.
Playing for Home United
Shahril started playing for Home United at the beginning of the 2007 season. His last game for Home United was on September 21, 2010. In that game, he scored two important goals against Tampines Rovers. He then left for Indonesia with five games left in the S.League season. He finished his last season with Home United with 17 goals. He was the third-highest scorer in the 2010 S.League season. He also won the 2010 S.League Player of the Year award.
Time in Indonesia: Persib Bandung
In 2010, Shahril signed a one-year contract with an Indonesian team called Persib Bandung. His fellow Singapore national football team player, Baihakki Khaizan, also joined the team.
Time in Indonesia: Medan Chiefs
In February 2011, Shahril signed a one-year deal with Liga Primer Indonesia team, Medan Chiefs. This contract was worth $400,000. He went on to score 8 goals in 32 matches for Medan Chiefs.
Returning to Singapore with LionsXII
Shahril came back to Singapore to play for the new club, LionsXII, in December 2011. While playing for LionsXII, he helped them win the 2013 Malaysia Super League title in his second season. He scored 17 goals in 34 games, becoming the club's top scorer in 2013.
Moving to Johor Darul Ta'zim II
At the end of the 2013 Malaysia Super League season, Shahril signed a four-year contract. He joined the Malaysia Premier League club, Johor Darul Ta'zim II. He was given the number 17 jersey when he arrived. He became the captain for his new club in the 2014 Malaysia Premier League. He played as a central midfielder or playmaker. He helped his team finish in 5th place, scoring 7 goals and making 8 assists. He continued as captain for Johor Darul Ta'zim II in the 2015 Malaysia Premier League. They finished 5th again, with Shahril scoring 5 goals and providing 6 assists. In total, Shahril scored 23 goals in 75 games for JDT II from 2014 to 2016.
Playing for Warriors FC
Shahril returned to Singapore to play in the S.League for Warriors FC in the 2017 S.League season. His former teammate, Baihakki Khaizan, also joined the team. He scored his first goal for the club in a 4–3 win against Garena Young Lions. He scored two goals in a 2–2 draw with Home United. These goals came in the last 9 minutes of the match. This helped the Warriors stay unbeaten for 6 games at the start of the season. He scored two more goals in the Warriors' tenth league game, securing a 2–0 win over Geylang International. This win ended a tough two months for his club. Shahril had a great season, scoring 11 goals, which was one-third of his team's goals. He played in all 24 league games, starting 23 of them.
Back to Home United (Now Lion City Sailors)
Shahril returned to Home United for the new 2018 Singapore Premier League season. He came in to replace the previous season's top scorer, Stipe Plazibat. In 2020, Home United became a private club owned by Forrest Li and was renamed Lion City Sailors. In his first season with the Sailors, Shahril played 9 times and scored 3 goals in all club competitions.
Joining Hougang United
After four seasons with his previous club, Shahril joined Hougang United in January 2021. He helped them win the 2022 Singapore Cup, which was the club's first-ever trophy. On February 21, 2023, Shahril announced his retirement from football at the age of 39.
Shahril's International Career
Shahril is known as one of Singapore's best creative midfielders in recent years. He quickly became a key player for the Lions after his international debut. He was only 19 years old when he first played for Singapore against Maldives on March 4, 2003.
He was part of the "NFA Gang of Four" along with Ridhuan Muhammad, Baihakki Khaizan, and Hassan Sunny. These four players had played together since they were teenagers. They all earned their first senior international honors in 2003.
Shahril played in different midfield positions for coach Radojko Avramović. He showed he was a strong central player with great performances in late 2004. On January 28, 2004, Shahril scored his first international goal against Norway in a friendly match. Singapore lost that game 2-5.
He played a big part in Singapore's wins in the 2004 AFF Championship and the 2007 AFF Championship. He was also part of the Singapore teams for the 2005 SEA Games and the 2006 Asian Games.
He was also on the Singapore Under-23 team that won a bronze medal at the 2007 Southeast Asian Games in Korat, Thailand. Shahril played for Singapore at senior, U23, U18, and U16 levels.
In August 2010, Shahril was named the new captain of the national team. He led the Lions in the AFF Suzuki Cup in December. On February 24, 2011, Shahril Ishak scored a penalty goal in a 2–2 draw against Azerbaijan national football team. Shahril is a member of the FIFA Century Club. This means he has played 100 or more international games. As captain, he was very important in Singapore's 2012 AFF Championship win. He scored 4 goals in 7 games to help the Lions win their 4th title.
Singapore Selection Team
Shahril was chosen to be part of the Singapore Selection squad for The Sultan of Selangor's Cup. This event took place on May 6, 2017.
Shahril's Personal Life
Shahril is the founder of a clothing brand called inlovebytns. He manages this business with his wife, Nur Hidayah. The brand started in late 2014. It began in 2013 as a streetwear brand called The Number Seventeen, or TNS for short. This name was a nod to Shahril's jersey number. Shahril designs all the clothes for TNS.
Honours and Awards
Club Achievements
LionsXII
- Malaysia Super League: 2013 (Champions)
Hougang United
- Singapore Cup: 2022 (Winners)
International Achievements
Singapore
- AFF Championship: 2004, 2007, 2012 (Winners)
- Southeast Asian Games bronze medal: 2007
Individual Awards
- S.League 'Player of the Year': 2010
- Tiger Beer Goal of the Year: 2010 (for a goal scored against SAFFC on July 16)
- AFF Championship Most Valuable Player: 2012
- AFF 'Player of the Year' (Men): 2013
- ASEAN Football Federation Best XI: 2013
- Singapore Premier League 'Team of the Year': 2018
See also
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
