Is a J.League move a possibility for Hassan Sunny?

National team first choice goalkeeper Hassan Sunny has returned to Singapore after his short spell in Japan with J3 League side Gainare Tottori ended.

The custodian was invited by the club to play in two friendly matches with them after viewing videos of the 32-year-old.

Hassan played 70 minutes in a friendly against K.League side Incheon United. He was scheduled to play a second friendly match with the team on Sunday, but inclement weather caused the match to be cancelled.

He may have spent only 24 hours with the team, but Hassan had plenty of positives to take from his time in Japan, receiving positive feedback from Gainare Tottori head coach Ryuzo Morioka, and its goalkeeper coaches.

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In an interview with The New Paper, he said: “Even though my time with the team was short, it was a good experience”

“They told me they would have liked for me to join them in Tottori (for a few extra days as originally planned), so that was nice to hear.”

A chance for a move to Japan could actually happen for Hassan.

Goal

The J3 League allows for three foreigners to be registered, with an extra slot available for players from the ASEAN region.

At time of writing, Gainare Tottori still has not signed any foreign players for their 2017 campaign.

However, one potential stumbling block that could scupper any potential transfer for the 2014 S.League player of the year would be his salary demands. Hassan was reportedly one of Thai Premier League club Army United’s highest earners before his release at the end of 2016 due to the club’s relegation.

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Typically, J3 League salaries are low or almost non-existent, and most players have to find work outside of football in order to sustain their careers.

It would be interesting to see if Hassan would be willing to challenge himself and accept a lower salary in order to secure a transfer to Japan, should the opportunity arise.

With the 2017 J3 League season due to start in March, the clock is ticking for all parties to make a dream move for Singapore’s number one goalkeeper a reality.