BY ZULHILMI ZAINAL Follow on Twitter
Terengganu FC's new signing Nabil Ahmad Latpi is excited that he's been given another chance to play at the professional level by the Super League side.
After the winger was cut from the PDRM FA roster last season, he joined M3 (third tier) outfit Ultimate FC this season. Ultimate's second round FA Cup encounter against Terengganu on April 2, a match the 27-year old player featured in and ended in a 5-0 win to the Turtles, led to him catching the eye of Terengganu boss Irfan Bakti Abu Salim. When the mid-season transfer window opened earlier this month, Irfan made a move for him, offering him a six-month contract.
He is grateful for the chance that he has been offered, drawing comparison to a famous top-level player who had been plucked from the lower leagues.
"After parting ways with PDRM, I thought that was it; my dream of playing in the Super League was over. I then joined Ultimate.
"Praise Allah, I can't believe that I've been offered a contract by Terengganu, after not giving up even while having to play in the amateur leagues previously. Look at what Jamie Vardy (Leicester City and England striker) achieved before he made it," remarked Nabil in an interview with league organiser Malaysian Football League.
After Vardy was released by Sheffield Wednesday as a teenager, he played for lower league sides for over five years, before he was signed by then second-tier side Leicester. He stayed on with the Foxes when they were promoted to the Premier League in 2014, before helping them achieve an unlikely title win in the following season.
"It's hard to believe that I am now on the same team as players that I've admired such as Ashari Samsudin and Syamim Yahya.
"But I'm fully aware that I have to overcome the coming obstacles, as the Super League is a bigger stage than what I am used to. I need to work harder to earn a spot on the team. I want to make my first appearance and settle in quickly. At Ultimate I played as a striker while here, I've been given the role of a left winger.
"I want to contribute to the team, and I definitely want to help Terengganu win silverware," said the Pendang, Kedah born player.
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