Football: 'Playing with Fowler was not that special'

Football: 'Playing with Fowler was not that special'

HANAFI GHAZALI 

DATE OF BIRTH: April 4, 1993

POSITION: Left back or centre midfield

HEIGHT: 1.65m

WEIGHT: 64kg

FORMER TEAMS: Cockburn City (youth), Freemantle United (youth), Perth Glory (semi-professional)

FAVOURITE TEAM: Manchester United

FAVOURITE PLAYER: Paul Scholes

Few local players can say they shared a dressing room with Robbie Fowler.

Courts Young Lions' Hanafi Ghazali holds the memory dear.

Six years ago, the former Singapore Sports School student moved with his family to Australia, where he went on to earn a semi-professional contract with ALeague side Perth Glory.

In 2010, Liverpool and England legend Fowler, then 35, joined Perth. And Hanafi, 20, found himself training with the man Liverpool fans still revere as "God".

"When I first heard that Fowler was joining the team, I was really excited," said the soft-spoken youngster.

"But, after a while, you realise that he's the same as any other player.

"You would think it's extra special having a player like Fowler in your team. "But I think the better a player, the more humble he is."

Despite being just 17 then, Hanafi was already on the fringe of the Perth first team.

He came on as a substitute in Fowler's debut for the A-League team, an 8-0 friendly win over third-tier Rockingham City and even scored in that match.

But, for all the excitement surrounding Fowler joining the team, Hanafi was more impressed by another former English Premier League player at the club at that time. "Liam Miller, the former Manchester United midfielder, was someone who impressed me a lot," said Hanafi.

"You could really see that there was a difference between him and the other players. "Even doing simple things like onetouch drills, he seemed two or three steps ahead of everyone.

"I tried my best to learn from him." Before Hanafi could earn a professional contract or make his first-team bow in the A-League for Perth, however, he had to return to Singapore to serve his National Service in mid-2011.

He was registered as a Prime League player for Home United last season and then joined the Courts Young Lions midway through this term. The versatile left-footed player has mostly been playing as a fullback for Aide Iskandar's side.

Former Singapore skipper Aide said of Hanafi: "He's a very good ball-player, composed in possession and can play in a couple of positions.

"He has the potential to go far." Whether Hanafi gets the chance to don the national jersey, however, remains to be seen.

The youngster wants to continue his pursuit of a professional contract in Australia, but is keeping his options open.

"After this season finishes, I hope to get back to football over in Australia," he said.

"But I don't know what the future holds. "I'll just work hard and hope for the best, and whatever happens, happens."


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