After a nine-month stint in the S-League, former English Premier League star Jermaine Pennant has called it quits in his short-lived career in Singapore football.
Hyped up as a high-profile signing — and one that was believed to spark some fire in local football again — the 33-year-old Englishman will be leaving Tampines Rovers after rejecting a renewed deal. According to The Straits Times, he’ll be heading to London next Wednesday. But not before his final match in the Singapore Cup final against Albirex Niigata tomorrow.
It comes as no surprise, really — it would have been pretty hard for any Singapore club to sustain his monthly salary of $20,000. Rovers chairman Krishna Ramachandra stated that they’re adopting cost-cutting measures for next season, and their new offer to Pennant wasn’t enough to interest him in staying. A decision to discontinue operating jackpot machines (Krishna called it a “social ill”) must have hit the club hard, as they were a major source of revenue. Sponsorship deals fell through as well.
Speaking to The Straits Times, Pennant didn’t seem too impressed by the state of football in Singapore — so much so that even the world’s best player Lionel Messi wouldn’t be able to save it.
“No matter who you get, you could bring Messi here, yes, you’d attract fans but without money, and the government and the league helping out like they do with other sports, or what they do in other countries, it’s not going to grow,” he stated.
The former Arsenal and Liverpool winger declared that the S-League could do with more professionalism, a better support environment for players, and better facilities in general. He highlighted the fact that the pitches here are in pretty poor shape.
When Pennant signed on with Tampines Rovers back in January, it was a pretty momentous occasion in the history of Singapore football. The hype went on for the first few matches he appeared in (his debut at Jalan Besar Stadium attracted a crowd of nearly 2,000) but nothing else was done to sustain the fanfare. Many had expected great things from him — but really, he’s just one man in a team game.
“There’s only so much I can do. I can’t stop people from scoring. If we score three goals but concede four there’s not much I can do.”
