KUALA LUMPUR – National U23s footballer Annil Vigneswaran has continued to expand his career in Europe after signing a one-year contract with SV Waldhof Mannheim, who play in Germany’s third tier.
The versatile 20-year-old defender, who will be embarking on his fifth stint in Europe, expressed his happiness at the opportunity given and conveyed his gratitude to those who made his dream possible.
“After a lot of hard work and sacrifices, I’m finally happy to sign with SV Waldhof Mannheim (U-21) team for this season.
“Thank you to my agent and everyone who made this possible. It’s time to work hard and keep fighting,” said Annil in a post on Instagram.
Speaking to Scoop, former Harimau Malaya assistant coach S. Balachandran expressed excitement about the progress shown by the player and hopes to see him excel in the senior squad in the years to come.
“I’m happy to see the remarkable commitment shown by Anil to play in Germany at such a young age.
“He’s a really hard-working lad and deserves the opportunity for all the hard work he has invested in his game since a very young age.
“It’s not easy for a Malaysian to be selected by a German club, and I hope that Anil can make the most of this opportunity by bringing back as much knowledge as he can when he plays for Harimau Malaya one day.
“Furthermore, I’m also delighted to see him follow in the footsteps of players such as Kogileswaran Raj, who played for Chungbuk Cheongju in South Korea, and Fayadh Zulkifli, who played in Japan,” said Balachandran.
Balachandran also expressed his hope to see more young Malaysian footballers play in foreign leagues, as it will elevate their standard of play.
“I hope to see more young footballers play in various leagues across the world. Playing in the Malaysian league alone is not enough, as they need to train with the best to be the best.
He added that playing in Germany is especially helpful for Malaysia’s young footballers as the increased physicality would provide vital experience.
“The German League is the perfect league for our Asian players to thrive, and even Tottenham Hotspur player Son Heung-min began his early days in the German league before becoming a star.
“I hope our young players can look up to footballers like Son and one day strive to achieve more global success like him,” Balachandran added.
Annil, who began his youth career in the Netherlands with Ajax aged 10, had also previously played for another German third-division side, SV Sandhausen.
He was also with the German clubs SGV Freiberg and Freiburger FC between 2021 and 2022.
Annil was a member of the national youth team under coach Brad Maloney for the U23 Asian Cup qualifiers in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in 2021. – October 25, 2023