Approximately 12 months ago, Pahang fans went through a period of mixed emotions. On one hand, they lost Gary Steven Robbat to JDT over a rather problematic transfer saga. But on the other hand, they secured the signature of one of the brightest Malaysian talent in the form of D. Saarvindran.
But he missed the early part of the season due to a long-term injury and while he did eventually recover to play a part in Pahang’s topsy-turvy season, he was denied full-involvement by a series of other minor injuries as well.
As we edge into 2016 though, the ex-Harimau Muda star has other plans. The likes of Gopinathan, Azamuddin Akil and Hafiz Kamal have all departed the team and Saarvindran is keen on raising the bar and is equally hopeful of being given a more influential role within the team.
“I’d really like to repay the trust and faith that has been shown in me by Pahang FA’s management. But I’ll have to prove my worth to the head coach (Ahmad Shaharuddin Rosdi) and show him that I deserve to play,” he told Harian Metro.
“I’m looking forward to playing a bigger role next year, and I can’t wait to start training with my teammates and there’ll definitely be some new players,” he added.
Matias Conti and Damion Stewart are the other two individuals that have left the squad, though the future of Dickson Nwakaeme and Zesh Rehman remain uncertain for the time being.
WHAT DO WE THINK?
Saarvindran is an exceptional player, when he’s on form. We’ve seen him rip defences apart during his time with Harimau Muda, and he definitely showed glimpses of what he’s capable of with Pahang as well. Question is, where does he fit into Ahmad Shahruddin’s plans? If he does fit in really nice, then Pahang could be in for a real ride. Also, their decision to retain him was probably premised upon the hope of seeing him spearhead their challenge next year. The other concern is also his fitness. He spent the last one year battling injury and it’s relatively uncertain as to whether he will return to his previous best. Pahang have opted to take the risk and we certainly hope it plays out in their favour.
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