Young midfielder Danial Amier was officially unveiled as the latest signing for Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) on Tuesday morning as he adds to the plethora of options available to the seven-time Malaysia Super Champions for the 2021 season and beyond.
Moving away from Felda United, the 23-year-old central midfielder who is also a Malaysian international has inked a 2-year contract with the Southern Tigers, giving him a chance to not only compete for the highest honours in the country but also a chance to feature in the AFC Champions League.
Club owner Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim (TMJ) could not hide his delight in his latest capture and firmly believes that Danial is one for the long-term as JDT begins the a phase of replacements for the local players who have or are close to the wrong side of 30.
“We’re very excited to have him (Danial). To me it’s a great honour and pleasure to have a player who is not only talented but one who is willing to take the challenge at JDT because we all know that JDT is an established club that is continuing to improve," said TMJ during the press conference.
"We know it’s tough to be in the JDT squad where there are a lot of great players but what I admire about Danial is the fighting spirit that he has to face the challenge. I think he has made the right decision to join the best club in the country.
And a tough fight Danial will have when he joins the team properly for pre-season training in the coming weeks. A regular starter at Felda under Nidzam Jamil, things will not be that straight-forward for him at the new club where he has to duke it out with the best in the country.
Hariss Harun, Afiq Fazail, Leandro Velazquez, Nazmi Faiz, Syamer Kutty Abba, Ignacio (Natxo) Insa and Gary Steven Robbat are those that will compete with Danial for the central midfield berth, assuming JDT maintain their preferred 4-3-3 formation for the coming season.
But Danial has had more than a year to at least prepare mentally for this new challenge as it is widely known that JDT attempted to sign him before the start of the 2019 season. It is clear what Danial brings to the party and with him being to operate in at least two of the three midfield roles, there's little to suggest he would not get his playing time.
“I was surprised when I found out that JDT were interested because it’s not an honour that many players get to experience. It became a big motivation for me to work harder, to change myself, to change my mentality - all for me to arrive here," explained Danial.
“Of course I knew coming in that JDT has great players with great foreign players. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and be in a team where I know I can grow and develop myself. It’s a challenge to myself to be better and prove myself during training and where I get the opportunity on the pitch.
“I chose JDT for a lot of reasons. I have good friends here who have succeeded and they told me that it will be good for me to come here and grow. It’s only fair when an employer spends the time and money to get a player, they want something back in return. It’s up to me to be prepared and face the challenges.
“In any team, if we don’t fight for our place then you will only get to sit on the bench. Even at Felda, I’ve been put on the bench. It will be tougher at JDT but sitting on the bench it’s not something I’m thinking about because I would not be here if I only think of that."
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