PETALING JAYA: Young striker Hadi Fayyadh Abdul Razak has been given a second bite at the cherry to play in the Japan Professional Football League (J-League).
The teenager realised his dream of playing in Japan after sealing a one-year deal with Division 2 club, Fagiano Okayama yesterday.
Hadi had gone for a week-long trial with another division two club Roasso Kunamoto in early August but the transfer did not materialise.
The 18-year-old did not give up hope and his perseverance to play in the land of the Rising Sun paid off.
The Kuala Lumpur-born player had played a key role in the national team’s first-ever win at the AFF Under-19 Championship in Indonesia in July. In August, he was part of the national Under-23 team that reached last 16 at the Indonesia Asian Games.
Hadi said he would be out gain experience under the Fagiano Okayama banner and improve on his performance and career prospects.
“Alhamdulillah, I’m very happy to have gained a place with the club. This is my ambition since childhood and it will help me to improve my skills,” said Hadi, who underwent two trials with Fagiano before being signed.
“Japan is one of the best Asian countries in football and it has a structured development programme. I’ll make full use of this opportunity to pave a brighter future for me in this sport.”
“I’ll compete for a place in the first team,” added the striker, who expressed his appreciation to Yakult Malaysia for the opportunity.
Meanwhile, Yakult (M) Sdn Bhd managing director Hiroshi Hamada, who made the deal possible, described Hadi’s success as a result of his perseverance and hard work.
“I hope this success will open the opportunity for other Malaysian players to play in the Japan league. We’ll always support Hadi and will also help other Malaysians who want to play there,” he added.
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