Shahril Ishak

Shahril Ishak (born 23 January 1984) is a Singaporean former professional footballer who played as a midfielder or forward. A former captain of the Singapore national team and winner of the 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup MVP, Shahril led Singapore to become the first nation to win four titles in the tournament's history. He followed it up by winning the 2012 AFF Championship Most Valuable Player and the AFF Player of the Year (Men) award in 2013.
Along with Baihakki Khaizan, Hassan Sunny and Khairul Amri, Shahril was in the pioneer batch of the National Football Academy in 2000.
Club career
Young Lions
Shahril joined the newly created Young Lions ahead of the 2003 S.League season and soon made his international debut. After four seasons, Shahril left the Young Lions in 2007 to join Home United.
Home United
Shahril made his Home United debut in at the start of the 2007 season. He played his final game for Home United on 21 September 2010, scoring two crucial goals against title rivals Tampines Rovers. He then left for Indonesia with five games remaining in the S.League season. He finished his last season in Home United with 17 goals to his name and was the third highest scorer during the 2010 S.League season. He also won the 2010 S.League Player of the Year award.
Persib Bandung
In 2010, Shahril signed a 1-year contract with Indonesian side, Persib Bandung, along with his fellow Singapore national football team player, Baihakki Khaizan.
Medan Chiefs
In February 2011, Shahril signed a one-year deal worth $400,000 with Liga Primer Indonesia side, Medan Chiefs. He then went on to score 8 league goals in 32 matches for Medan Chiefs.
LionsXII
Shahril returned to Singapore with newly formed club side LionsXII in December 2011. During his stint at LionsXII, he won the 2013 Malaysia Super League title in his second season as well as scoring 17 goals in 34 appearances, finishing as the club top scorer in the 2013 season.
Johor Darul Ta'zim II
Shahril signed a 4-year contract at the end of the 2013 Malaysia Super League by joining Malaysia Premier League club, Johor Darul Ta'zim II. He was given the number 17 shirt upon his arrival to the club. He was appointed as the captain for his new club in the 2014 Malaysia Premier League. He was converted back to a centre midfielder/play-maker role and led his new club to a 5th placing position, finishing the season with 7 goals and 8 assists for his new team. He led Johor Darul Ta'zim II for the 2015 Malaysia Premier League as the captain again, and led his club to a 5th placing position again, finishing the season with 5 goals and 6 assists. In total, Shahril scored 23 goals in 75 appearances for JDT II between 2014 and 2016.
Warriors FC
Sharil returned to Singapore to play in the S.League with Warriors FC for the 2017 S.League campaign together with Baihakki Khaizan. He scored his first goal for the club in a 4–3 win over the Garena Young Lions and notched his first brace for the club in a 2–2 draw with Home United, scoring both goals in the final 9 minutes of the match, extending the Warriors' unbeaten run at the start of the season to 6 games. He scored a further two goals in the Warriors' tenth league game of the season, sealing a 2–0 win over Geylang International to end a wretched two months spell for his club, where they only won once and was dumped out of the Singapore Cup. Shahril had a great season despite his advancing years, scoring 1/3 of his team's goals (11) and playing in all 24 league games, starting 23 of them.
Return to Home United (Now known as Lion City Sailors)
Sharil returned to Home United for the newly revamp 2018 Singapore Premier League season, coming into replace last season's top-scorer Stipe Plazibat who had left for Thailand as well as Khairul Nizam who had moved in the other direction to Warriors FC.
In 2020, Home United was privatised by new owner, Forrest Li and was rebranded as Lion City Sailors. In his first season with the sailors, Shahril scored appeared 9 times and scored 3 in all club competitions.
Hougang United
After 4 season with his previous club, Sharil joined Hougang United in January 2021. He helped them win the 2022 Singapore Cup, their first ever piece of silverware in the club history.
On 21 February 2023, he announced his retirement from football at age of 39.
International career
Singapore's most natural creative midfielder to emerge in recent years, Shahril quickly established himself as the heartbeat of the Lions engine room since he made his international debut aged just 19 against Maldives on 4 March 2003.
With winger Ridhuan Muhammad, defender Baihakki Khaizan and keeper Hassan Sunny, he was part of the "NFA Gang of Four", the quartet which had played together since their early teenage years and earned senior international honours in 2003.
He has been employed in various positions across the midfield by coach Radojko Avramović, but Shahril staked a strong claim for an influential central role with a series of convincing performances there in the second half of 2004.
He played a major role in the victory in the Tiger Cup in 2005 and also the 2007 AFF Championship, He was also part of the 2005 SEA Games squad and the 2006 Asian Games.He was part of the Singapore Under-23 team that took part in the 2007 Southeast Asian Games in Korat, Thailand that won a bronze medal.
Capped for Singapore at senior, U23, U18 and U16 levels.
In August 2010 Shahril was revealed as the new captain of the national team, and led the Lions for the AFF Suzuki Cup in December.
On 24 February 2011, Shahrill Ishak converted a penalty into a goal in a 2–2 draw against Azerbaijan national football team.
Shahril is an inductee of the FIFA Century Club.
As captain, he was instrumental in Singapore's 2012 AFF Championship win, scoring 4 goals in 7 appearances to help the Lions win their 4th title.
Singapore selection
Shahril was selected as part of the Singapore Selection squad for The Sultan of Selangor's Cup to be held on 6 May 2017.
Personal life
Away from the pitch, Shahril is also the founder of inlovebytns, a clothing brand jointly managed with his wife, Nur Hidayah, that was started in late 2014. The business began in 2013 as a streetwear label called The Number Seventeen – a reference to Shahril's jersey number and TNS for short. All TNS apparel are designed by Shahril.
Career statistics
Club
. Caps and goals may not be correct.
Young Lions and LionsXII are ineligible for qualification to AFC competitions in their respective leagues.
International
Honours
LionsXII
Malaysia Super League: 2013
Hougang United
Singapore Cup: 2022
Singapore
ASEAN Football Championship: 2004, 2007, 2012
Southeast Asian Games bronze medal: 2007
Individual
S.League Player of the Year: 2010
Tiger Beer Goal of the Year: 2010 (40', Home United vs SAFFC on 16 July)
AFF Championship Most Valuable Player: 2012
AFF Player of the Year (Men): 2013
ASEAN Football Federation Best XI: 2013
Singapore Premier League Team of the Year: 2018
See also
List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
References
Notes
International caps milestones
115th – Syria, 15 November 2013
117th – Oman, 5 March 2014
External links
1984 births
Living people
Singaporean men's footballers
Singapore men's international footballers
Expatriate men's footballers in Indonesia
Singaporean expatriate men's footballers
Singaporean expatriate sportspeople in Indonesia
Persib Bandung players
Liga 1 (Indonesia) players
Indonesian Premier Division players
Singapore Premier League players
Expatriate men's footballers in Malaysia
Singaporean expatriate sportspeople in Malaysia
Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C. players
Malaysia Super League players
Men's association football forwards
FIFA Men's Century Club
LionsXII players
Singaporean people of Malay descent
Men's association football wingers
Young Lions FC players
Footballers at the 2006 Asian Games
Footballers at the 2010 Asian Games
SEA Games bronze medalists for Singapore
SEA Games medalists in football
Competitors at the 2007 SEA Games
Asian Games competitors for Singapore
Lion City Sailors FC players