PETALING JAYA: After a chequered career that was ravaged by injuries at one point, former Harimau Muda player Gary Steven Robbat seems have found a new lease of life with Sabah.
The 31-year-old Gary, once touted to be one of the top midfielders to look out for, joined the Rhinos in 2022 where he was reunited with his former Malaysia Under-23 coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee.
Under Kim Swee’s guidance, Gary slowly regained his confidence and gradually made his mark in the middle of the park as Sabah became one of the harder teams to beat in the Super League.
But last season, Gary found himself used more on a rotational basis – no thanks to the rise of Stuart Wilkin who became the main man in midfield.
Stuart’s displays, in fact, were reminiscent of Gary’s in the past and he has evolved into one of the best midfielders in the country, becoming a key player in Kim Pan-gon’s Harimau Malaya side.
In such a situation, one couldn’t fault Gary for being envious – but he is hardly feeling that way.
He said he’s happy to see the growth of Stuart and chooses not to see him as a threat in the Sabah side.
“Stuart is at a high level now and I’m happy for him. The best thing about him is that he has added goalscoring to his arsenal of talents. His growth is not only good for Sabah but for the country as well,’’ said Gary.
“As midfielders, we’re also more motivated to improve after seeing him play so well now.’’
Entering his third season with Sabah, Gary said he now wants to help them finish in the top three and hopefully get them to the continental stage again after playing in the AFC Cup last season.
With a player of Stuart’s quality to work with, it wouldn’t be too hard for Gary to help Sabah make those goals a reality.
