FAS ● Sep 26, 2019
Thank you, Amri!
SINGAPORE, 26 SEPTEMBER 2019 – Khairul Amri has called time on an illustrious 15-year career with the Lions today as the 34-year-old announced his retirement from international football.
One of the best ever strikers to pull on a Singapore jersey, Amri was handed his international debut by then National Team Coach Radojko Avramovic as a substitute in a 7-0 loss away to Oman in Muscat on 9 June, 2004 in a 2006 FIFA World Cup Qualifier.
A talented youngster, the then 19-year-old blossomed into a fearsome predator who terrified opposing defences with his razor-sharp pace and ruthless finishing ability as he collected 132 caps.
Amri played in three ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Championship finals and, remarkably, scored in each of them – a feat that remains unmatched. It was his rasping volley against Thailand in the second leg of the 2007 final that earned a 1-1 draw and a 3-2 aggregate win, while the Lions also won the trophy on the other two occasions he scored in the finals, in 2005 and 2012.
Amri celebrates after scoring in the 2007 AFF Suzuki Cup final against Thailand (Photo: Power Sports Images/Lagardere Sports)
Part of the pioneer batch of the now-defunct National Football Academy in 2000, Amri started his professional career in 2004 and scored 54 goals in 114 games before leaving for Tampines Rovers in 2008. The same year, he won the S.League (now Singapore Premier League) Young Player of the Year accolade.
A one-season spell in Indonesia with Persiba Balikpapan followed before he joined the LionsXII in their inaugural season. Amri would have several more stints with the Young Lions, LionsXII and Tampines, winning the 2013 S. League title with the Stags, before moving to current club FELDA United in 2019.
Amri guaranteed goals wherever he went, banging in over a hundred in the S.League and 32 for Singapore, which means that he retires as the national team’s third all-time top scorer.
Amri’s last Singapore appearance came on 11 June earlier this year against Myanmar in a friendly at the National Stadium and he retires as the fourth most-capped Lion ever.
“I lived the dream whenever I pulled on the Singapore jersey and as a young player, I never imagined that I would one day make over a hundred appearances for the national team,” Amri told FAS.org.sg.
“It has always been an honour to represent the country and I will take away many cherished memories from my international career. This was not an easy decision to make but after much deliberation, I feel that it is the right time for the next generation to step up to the challenge of doing well for the team.
“I look forward to spending more time with my family, focusing on my club football and pursuing my other passions. I am very grateful for all the support I had throughout my time with the team from the coaches to the backroom staff, and of course, to all the team-mates I’ve played with. I wish the team all the best and will always support them.”
The Football Association of Singapore thanks Amri for his utmost dedication to the National Team and congratulates him on having a stellar international career as one of our finest Lions yet. All the best, Amri!
