Panos Linardos Geylang InternationalGeylang International

"It was like a country from a Sci-Fi movie" - Inside Panos Linardos' Singaporean adventure with Geylang International

Now enjoying a well-deserved break with his family and friends at his family home in sunny Missolonghi, right on the southern tip of mainland Greece, Panagiotis Linardos had agreed to adjourn his customary trip to the beach to spend some time reflecting on his career journey thus far.

Going from Europe to Southeast Asia and back again is a path not often trodden, to say the least. With most European stars only traveling to the Far East as their careers wind down, not many retain the drive - and more importantly, capability - to return to a high-level European league after their Asean adventures are over.

Linardos, however, is already contemplating his next move after cutting short his time in Singapore rather abruptly.

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“I have offers from some teams in Greece and around Europe,” reveals the midfielder, affectionately known by friends as Panos. “I’ve got offers from both the top two tiers in Greece, and some from Switzerland and Lithuania as well. But I just want to take a little time to make this decision.”

It’s been a whirlwind year for the former Apollon Limassol youngster. Having begun his career at his local team, fourth tier Greek side A.E. Messolonghi, Panos went on the represent a slew of Cypriot clubs, before returning home to play for Panegialios in the Greek second division.

Just how he then ended up at Singapore’s Bedok Stadium for a spell with Geylang International is a quite remarkable story.

“When the offer from Geylang came to me, I felt like it was a big experience, so it was so easy for me to decide to come to Singapore. Before accepting the offer, I was looking through some information about Singapore, and when I read many things about the city, about the situation there, the life there, the football, the decision was so easy. I wanted to live a new experience,” Panos revealed exclusively to Goal.

Interestingly though, it wouldn’t be the first time the central midfielder was moving out of his homeland. Having spent six years in neighbouring Cyprus, Linardos was no stranger to playing in a foreign league. However, as far as he was concerned, moving to the Lion City would be an unprecedented step in his career.

“So yes, I spent six years in Cyprus, my first professional step was there. But Cyprus is like Greece. They speak Greek, the mentality is similar, so it’s a foreign country, but it feels like home. Moving to Singapore would be a big experience for me,” he added.

And so, the decision was made. Contract all but agreed, Linardos stepped on a plane, and around 12 hours later, found himself in a place beyond his wildest imagination.

“When I set foot in Singapore, I thought it was like the countries we see in science fiction movies,” he says matter-of-factly. “Yeah, it’s true! Like a country of the future. Because of the architecture of the buildings, the style of life, the technology.

“There are some architectural things, some technological things that are extremely new. It’s so surprising for a person. Greece is a country with a lot of natural beauty, but in Singapore, the technology is extremely good. It was unbelievable. There was a waterfall inside the building!” he exclaims of Jewel Changi Airport, his tone still smacking of disbelief.

“It’s very easy for a foreigner to live here, because everything is in English. Singapore is also multicultural, so you find European people, American people, Chinese people, Malay people, everything. It’s not difficult to live there,” he continued.

Having settled in to a cushy condominium in Tanah Merah, paid for by the club, Panos would only have a few days to orient himself before Geylang set off for pre-season, traveling to Malaysia and Indonesia. It was on this trip that the midfielder, fresh from playing in front of modest crowds in the Greek second tier, suddenly found himself on the pitch at Jakarta’s famous Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, in front of close to 50,000 baying supporters of Persija Jakarta.

“The biggest crowd I’ve played against, it was no doubt in Persija. 30, 40, 50,000 fans. They support their team with so much passion, it was so loud,” he recalled. “In Greece I have played against big teams, like Panathinaikos and PAOK, but the atmosphere was unbelievable.” Despite a valiant effort, the Eagles succumbed to a 3-1 defeat, but not without Linardos introducing himself to one of Southeast Asia’s largest fanbases with a cheeky Panenka penalty.

Panos Linardos GeylangAIA Singapore Premier League

Despite the defeat, however, Panos was quick to acknowledge that the difference in footballing standards between Singapore and its rivals is not as big as many perceive it to be.

“When we went to Malaysia and Indonesia, I saw the level of those countries. It was very good. After that, in Singapore, I understood that maybe the level is not like Malaysia or Indonesia, but they try to find and sign good foreign players who take the level of the league up,” Panos analysed.

“But the most important thing for me, the biggest impression for me, were the talented local players. In my opinion, there are so many local football players, young and old, who are very talented. 

ALSO READ: From Ilhan Fandi to Farhan Zulkifli - Meet the future of Singapore

Indeed, having played alongside professional young players in the Greek and Cypriot top flights, Panos reasoned that Singaporean youngsters are actually not too far away from them talent-wise. With a plethora of young stars available for selection in the country, it seems a matter of time before one of them makes it big in a foreign league. However, there is something holding them back.

“National Service,” he says bluntly. “It’s a big problem for them. It’s a big problem for them to improve themselves and go to the higher level, even though in my opinion, they are very talented. Greece also has National Service, but the Government helps the football players, especially those who play in the First Division.”

“The teams and the Government in Greece help the young football players. In my opinion, this is a problem of Singaporean football. The young players must go for NS, and they spend their best years for that. They don’t improve so much for going to the higher level. Two years is a long time.”

During his time at Geylang, Linardos trained and played alongside numerous immensely talented young players, many of whom he could talk about enthusiastically for hours, but perhaps the one which left the biggest impression on him was one he never actually had the chance to play alongside. Singaporean-Greek frontman Zikos Vasileios Chua, sidelined since last year with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, was on the cusp of making his return to the side when the football season was halted.

ALSO READ: Meet Zikos Chua: Singapore's very own Greek god in the making inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo

“In Geylang, we had so many young football players. The left back Harith (Kanadi), he is so talented. And also, I didn’t play with him but I know he’s very talented - half Greek, half Singaporean, Zikos Chua!,” said Panos of Zikos, born in Kastoria on the opposite end of the Greek mainland, nearly four hours from Missolonghi.

"I didn’t spend so much time with him on the pitch because he was injured, but I spoke with him, and I think he is very clever.

“He’s not the most athletic guy, but he is very smart. He is always in the right position. This is very important for a striker. So, in my opinion, his future is very bright. I know for sure he studies a lot, he’s a very good student, so I think he can combine both the studies and the football.”

Zikos Chua

Thinking back to the very beginning of his Asean journey, Linardos recalls his surprise at receiving an offer from as far away as the Singapore Premier League, and from Geylang. It’s evident from his passionate descriptions of Geylang’s young stars that nurturing young talents is one of his greatest footballing motivations, and so it proved, as the midfielder set two goals for himself when he stepped on the plane destined for Changi Airport; to win a trophy for the Eagles, and to help develop their young players.

“Geylang is a very historical club, but their last trophy was in 2001. It’s quite a long time. So first in my opinion was to give my experiences and to give my knowledge to the young football players. Secondly, is to give a trophy to Geylang,” he declared.

His exemplary attitude was duly recognised by Geylang’s head coach Noor Ali, who held great appreciation for what Panos brought to the club, not just on the pitch, but off it too.

“He has been encouraging with the young ones and always mingled well with his teammates. Off the field, this guy is a true gentleman. He’s always nice to his friends and you will never see him get angry,” Noor detailed exclusively to Goal.

“Even on the bench, he will encourage his team-mates. I still remember one game against Hougang, we were 2-1 up in the final three minutes and one of the coaches told him to sit down. He told the coach ‘I will continue, just in case the coach needs me’. That says everything about his professional attitude towards the game.”

With a mindset like that, it’s easy to see why Panos developed such a strong bond with the people around Geylang International during his time here.

“Pana came to Singapore with a pretty impressive CV to boot, playing in the top tiers of Greece and Cyprus,” said Geylang’s General Manager, Leonard Koh. “Some players of such pedigree may come across as arrogant and ‘big-headed’, but Pana has been the opposite of this notion from day-one.

“He is humble, very down-to-earth and gets along well with his teammates, staff and fans. He puts in extra hours on the pitch to improve himself and adapt to GIFC's brand of football. Off the pitch, he is always looking to give back by being an avid member of our outreach programmes."

With everything going perfectly for Linardos in first season at Geylang, the player looked as though he could become a mainstay for years in the heart of the Eagles midfield. It certainly seemed that way, until the much-maligned COVID-19 pandemic finally reached Singapore’s shores. Within a couple of weeks, the SPL was brought to an abrupt pause, with no resumption date in sight. It was a nightmare not just for the clubs, but the foreign players in the league too.

“You know, it was a very difficult this season for me. I was waiting about two months for an announcement on the league starting again, or if something would be improved, I was waiting to see when the situation would change. But nothing did,” Linardos explained.

“I started to feel quite homesick. When you’re in a foreign country, it’s not so easy. If the league continues, you have something to wait for and look forward to. You have a purpose, you’re waiting for Sunday, you go for training, you feel the pressure of the league. Without football, it’s quite difficult. I took this decision; I think it was the best for me,” he continued.

It was a desperately disappointing end to a journey which had begun with such promise, with the player having clicked so well with the club and its people, unforeseen circumstances in these unprecedented times had brought an end to what was essentially a perfect match-up.

However, with Panos fearing the worst having to explain his situation to the Geylang hierarchy, he was pleasantly surprised with the response he received from the club’s management.

“They understood my situation, the reasons I wanted to go back to Greece. They were very friendly to me. They helped me so much, we spoke with the people there, and it was another reason that all Geylang people are in my heart, and will always be in my heart, because they understood my issue,” he revealed emotionally.

“I spoke with the chairman. I explained to him my situation, and he was so friendly to me, and he told me the door of Geylang is always open for me. You never know what’s gonna happen in the future, but the only thing I’m sure of is I have so many friends now in Singapore, and it would be a very easy decision to come back, if I have the chance. These are some moments of your life that make you stronger, and make you proud.”

Now back home in Greece, it seems as though he couldn’t be further away from the family environment of Geylang International. But Panos has made sure to keep in touch with many of his old teammates, speaking to them nearly every day. It was an incredibly difficult decision for him to leave so many friends behind in Singapore, but the memories made are some he will hold dear forever.

“I would say my best moment was my last day, because many team-mates, all the coaches, the fans, they came to the airport to say goodbye to me. My best moment was my last night in the airport. It was so unforgettable for me,” he said softly.

“This bond was building from the first day. This situation in the airport was like a conclusion of this relationship. It’s not easy to build a relationship in such a short time. We tried to, and I have a very good relationship with all my coaches, my team-mates and the fans. This is very important for me.”

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