NEGERI SEMBILAN FC’s (NSFC) new striker, Luqman Hakim Shamsuddin, is determined to fulfill his late father’s dream of seeing him become the country’s best player through his debut in this season’s Super League.
The 23-year-old Kelantan native expressed his regret at not being able to see his beloved father, the late Shamsuddin Mahmood, one last time last year. However, his father’s hope and support has always been a source of strength for him to chase success in his football career.
Luqman Hakim was the first Malaysian player to sign a five-season contract with a major European club, Belgium’s KV Kortrijk (KVK), starting in 2020. During that period, Luqman played several times for both KVK’s main squad and development team before being loaned to other clubs, such as Iceland’s top-tier league team Njarovik FC and Japan’s YSCC Yokohama.
“One of the reasons for my return to Malaysia is to be back with my family. Before this, I didn’t get to spend time with my father, so this is a chance to spend time with my family, especially my mother.
“My father passed away on Nov 3, last year from a heart attack. At the time, I was busy with back-to-back matches in Japan. I hadn’t been in touch with him for a week, only messaging my mother… that situation made me feel down for two months,“ he told reporters at the NSFC Jersey Launch and Player Introduction Ceremony at AEON Nilai today.
The ceremony was officiated by the Chief Minister of Negeri Sembilan and NSFC Chairman, Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun, and was also attended by the Tunku Besar Tampin and President of the Negeri Sembilan Football Association (PBNS), Tunku Syed Razman Tunku Syed Idrus Al-Qadri.
The youngest of six siblings is determined to rise from the grief of losing a loved one by using the spirit of his late father as the main motivation to make the country proud on the football stage.
Meanwhile, the former KVK striker said that despite being abroad for four years, he believes it is not too late for him to rekindle his passion and deliver a more convincing performance in this season’s Super League.
“Alhamdulillah, I am very excited to play in the Super League with NSFC. This is an opportunity for me to get my own spirit back, and of course, the supporters in this state want to see positive results,“ he said.
At the player introduction ceremony, the squad, coached by Nidzam Jamil, also included several other new players, namely Muhammad Azri Abdul Ghani, Ahmad Khuzaimi Piee (captain), while retaining Muhammad Harith Samsuri, A. Selvan, and import player Takumi Sasaki (Japan). – Bernama