Be inspired: Hariss Harun

Probably Singapore’s most successful footballer of this era, Hariss Harun is a name that needs no introduction in Singapore’s footballing fraternity.

A precocious talent, he was Singapore’s youngest debutant making his first international appearance at the age of 16 and it’s safe to say that he has gone from strength to strength. Today he is Singapore’s captain and also wears the armband for his club Johor Darul Ta'zim FC.

In addition, to his status as a leader for his teams, Hariss also has a habit of picking up silverware as he has won the Malaysian Super League six times. For the 27 year old, his love of the game stemmed from his uncle and dad passing on their passion of football to him.

The young Hariss would start out playing under the void decks of his flat to the street soccer courts of his neighbourhood and although he is much older now, the passion still burns brightly.

For Singapore’s skipper he is looking to inculcate that passion into his teammates when they begin their AFF Suzuki Cup campaign against Indonesia. Moreover he is determined to follow in the footsteps of his idol Noh Alam Shah and Indra Shahdan by lifting the famous trophy.

Indeed Hariss has come a long way from being a precocious talent to the player he is today. He has had his fair share of obstacles along the way which includes nasty injuries. Significantly his mantra has always been to remain positive and keep working hard.

On the other hand, Singapore will need positivity and hard work if they want to have a deep run in the AFF Championships. But Hariss has no doubt that his team will make Singapore proud as he believes putting on the Singapore jersey itself gives a player extra motivation.

Furthermore this year’s national team kit designed by Nike impressed him. The Johor Darul Ta'zim player mentioned how in the past, when you play, the jersey used to stick to you but now with the new technologies like dri-fit, it really helps keeps players fresh. Another feature which he thought was unique was the crest behind the neck.

The crest represented the symbolic white crescent moon and five white stars on the Singapore flag. And fans can be assured that Hariss will keep the Singapore flag flying high as he hopes to inspire his country and his team to AFF Suzuki Cup glory.