Lionel Lewis
Encyclopedia
Lionel Lewis is a Singaporean
footballer
who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Home United FC
and the Singapore national football team
. Lewis is known for his bulky frame, remarkable shot-saving abilities and ferocious presence in goal. He plays for the Singapore Police Force
-affiliated Home United, which he first joined in 2004, having played for Geylang United FC
and the Young Lions
in his earlier years. Lewis made his international debut in 2002. He was named the 2004 Tiger Cup
MVP
, and was nominated for the 2006 Asian Footballer of the Year
award, making him the only ASEAN player and only goalkeeper nominated in the history of the award.
and Hassan Sunny
— that have turned out for the club. After a brief career at Geylang, where he made a total of 60 appearances, he joined the Young Lions
to become part of the first Young Lions side to play in the S.League
in 2003. In August 2004, the police regular joined Home United (which is affiliated to the Singapore Police Force
) on a short-term contract and played for the Protectors in their AFC Cup campaign, before returning to the Young Lions. He made a return to Home United in 2005, where he has remained since.
Lewis has been cited as the difference between Home United and the other teams. Balestier Khalsa FC
coach, Abdul Karim Razzak, described him as "a goalkeeper that can win 20 points for his team in a season".
As of 21 December, he trained with Premier League club Manchester City
. One week later, on 28 December 2007, Sven-Göran Eriksson
decided not to sign Lewis. On 13 January 2008, he underwent a one-week trial at Swiss Super League
club Grasshopper-Club Zürich
. On 22 January, he confirmed with S-League that he would not be signing a contract with Grasshopper.
as a future international, and the lanky keeper fulfilled those expectations with his progression into the senior squad. Lewis, who has a huge following, made his senior debut for the Singapore national team in a 2-0 friendly win over the Maldives on 9 April 2002. However, he only managed to grab the "No. 18" jersey from fellow keeper Hassan Sunny in 2004 and since then, he has regularly kept goal for the country in international tournaments.
He represented the Singapore national team
in the Tiger Cup
, South-east Asia's premier football tournament. He made his name in Tiger Cup 2004, when his impeccable performances between the sticks helped Singapore to a memorable triumph. He was subsequently named the tournament’s MVP
for his performance during the Cup. Lewis has played in three SEA Games, in 2001, 2003 and 2005. Lewis was nominated for the prestigious 2006 Asian Footballer of the Year
award, making him the only ASEAN player and only goalkeeper among the nominees and the first Singapore nominee in the award's history.
While playing for Singapore
in the 2006 King's Cup
against Thailand
, he was knocked unconscious after a horrific clash with Thai forward, Kiatisuk Senamuang
. A post-match medical report indicated that the injury was not serious.
, Lewis later studied at Novation Business School in 2005. He graduated with an advanced diploma certificate in Sports and Leisure Management. In 2008, Lewis completed his degree in Sports Management from University of Wolverhampton.
Lewis is married to Jenny Lam, a former flight stewardess. Together they have a daughter named Jennel Larissa.
Appearing as one of the guest celebrity on the advertisement for Suzuki cup, he was portray as the pride of Asia as he is the first S'porean to train with Premiership club's Manchester City first team.
Lionel's partnership with YEO’S blossomed over the years and soon he became the ambassador of H-TWO-O and has been actively involved in their advertising campaigns. He is the first S.League player to be featured in a TV commercial which was produced outside of Singapore.
Lionel is also one of the brand ambassadors of Europe's leading sports nutrition company, Maximuscle, here in Singapore.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Home United FC
Home United FC
Home United Football Club is a professional soccer club which plays in Singapore's S.League.-History:The Police Sports Association was founded in the mid-1940s to organise football activities for the Singapore Police Force. They sent two teams to compete in the Singapore Amateur Football...
and the Singapore national football team
Singapore national football team
The Singapore national football team is the national association football team of Singapore. The team comes under the organization of the Football Association of Singapore...
. Lewis is known for his bulky frame, remarkable shot-saving abilities and ferocious presence in goal. He plays for the Singapore Police Force
Singapore Police Force
The Singapore Police Force is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police , it has grown from an 11-man organisation to a 38,587 strong force...
-affiliated Home United, which he first joined in 2004, having played for Geylang United FC
Geylang United FC
Geylang United Football Club is a professional football club from Singapore, currently playing in the S.League. The club is based in Bedok and their home ground is Bedok Stadium. Their mascot is an eagle, and hence the team is also known as "the Eagles"....
and the Young Lions
Young Lions (Singapore football team)
The Courts Young Lions are an under-23 football team from Singapore. Most of the members of the squad are players from Singapore's national under-23 team. The team comes under the direct control of the Football Association of Singapore , but is managed as a football club and has competed in...
in his earlier years. Lewis made his international debut in 2002. He was named the 2004 Tiger Cup
Tiger Cup
The ASEAN Football Championship , is a biennial international association football competition organized by the ASEAN Football Federation , contested by the national teams of Southeast Asia...
MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
, and was nominated for the 2006 Asian Footballer of the Year
Asian Footballer of the Year
The Asian Footballer of the Year is an award that annually honors Asian footballer each year, has been conferred by Asian Football Confederation since 1994...
award, making him the only ASEAN player and only goalkeeper nominated in the history of the award.
Club career
Lewis first played for Geylang United, and is recognised as one of an outstanding trio of keepers — the other two being Shahril JantanShahril Jantan
Shahril Jantan is a Singaporean football player who is currently a goalkeeper for the S.League club Singapore Armed Forces Football Club .-Club career:...
and Hassan Sunny
Hassan Sunny
Hassan Sunny is a professional soccer player who plays for the Tampines Rovers FC in the S.League and the Singapore national football team.-Club career:Hassan has previously played for S.League clubs Geylang United FC and Young Lions....
— that have turned out for the club. After a brief career at Geylang, where he made a total of 60 appearances, he joined the Young Lions
Young Lions (Singapore football team)
The Courts Young Lions are an under-23 football team from Singapore. Most of the members of the squad are players from Singapore's national under-23 team. The team comes under the direct control of the Football Association of Singapore , but is managed as a football club and has competed in...
to become part of the first Young Lions side to play in the S.League
S.League
The S.League is the top men's professional association football league in Singapore. The league was launched in 1996 and currently involves 12 clubs.-History:...
in 2003. In August 2004, the police regular joined Home United (which is affiliated to the Singapore Police Force
Singapore Police Force
The Singapore Police Force is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police , it has grown from an 11-man organisation to a 38,587 strong force...
) on a short-term contract and played for the Protectors in their AFC Cup campaign, before returning to the Young Lions. He made a return to Home United in 2005, where he has remained since.
Lewis has been cited as the difference between Home United and the other teams. Balestier Khalsa FC
Balestier Khalsa FC
Balestier Khalsa Football Club is a professional football club which plays in Singapore's S.League. The club is a merger of two clubs who played in the S.League in past years – Balestier Central FC and Clementi Khalsa FC – who came together at the end of the 2002 season...
coach, Abdul Karim Razzak, described him as "a goalkeeper that can win 20 points for his team in a season".
As of 21 December, he trained with Premier League club Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
. One week later, on 28 December 2007, Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....
decided not to sign Lewis. On 13 January 2008, he underwent a one-week trial at Swiss Super League
Swiss Super League
The Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
club Grasshopper-Club Zürich
Grasshopper-Club Zürich
Grasshopper Club Zürich commonly referred to as simply GC, GCZ, or Grasshopper is a Swiss multisports club based in Zürich. The oldest and best known section of Grasshopper Club Zürich is its football team...
. On 22 January, he confirmed with S-League that he would not be signing a contract with Grasshopper.
International career
A teenage Lionel Lewis was touted by former Singapore coach Vincent SubramaniamVincent Subramaniam
Vincent Subramaniam is a Singaporean football manager. Educated at Victoria School, Vincent was most recently in charge of Indian side Churchill Brothers SC.He was manager of the Singapore national football team 1998-2001.-References:...
as a future international, and the lanky keeper fulfilled those expectations with his progression into the senior squad. Lewis, who has a huge following, made his senior debut for the Singapore national team in a 2-0 friendly win over the Maldives on 9 April 2002. However, he only managed to grab the "No. 18" jersey from fellow keeper Hassan Sunny in 2004 and since then, he has regularly kept goal for the country in international tournaments.
He represented the Singapore national team
Singapore national football team
The Singapore national football team is the national association football team of Singapore. The team comes under the organization of the Football Association of Singapore...
in the Tiger Cup
Tiger Cup
The ASEAN Football Championship , is a biennial international association football competition organized by the ASEAN Football Federation , contested by the national teams of Southeast Asia...
, South-east Asia's premier football tournament. He made his name in Tiger Cup 2004, when his impeccable performances between the sticks helped Singapore to a memorable triumph. He was subsequently named the tournament’s MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
for his performance during the Cup. Lewis has played in three SEA Games, in 2001, 2003 and 2005. Lewis was nominated for the prestigious 2006 Asian Footballer of the Year
Asian Footballer of the Year
The Asian Footballer of the Year is an award that annually honors Asian footballer each year, has been conferred by Asian Football Confederation since 1994...
award, making him the only ASEAN player and only goalkeeper among the nominees and the first Singapore nominee in the award's history.
While playing for Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
in the 2006 King's Cup
King's Cup
The King's Cup is an international football competition held in Thailand. It has been played annually since 1968, with the exception of 1983, 1985 and 2008. In some years, the competition has featured club or invitational teams as well as international sides....
against Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, he was knocked unconscious after a horrific clash with Thai forward, Kiatisuk Senamuang
Kiatisuk Senamuang
Kiatisuk "Zico" Senamuang is a Thai football manager and former football striker who played between April 1993 and October 2007, currently managing Chula United in the Thai Division 1 League.-Club career:...
. A post-match medical report indicated that the injury was not serious.
Personal life
A graduate of Nanyang PolytechnicNanyang Polytechnic
Nanyang Polytechnic is a Singaporean polytechnic located in Ang Mo Kio next to Yio Chu Kang MRT Station, Singapore.-History:*Established 1 April 1992...
, Lewis later studied at Novation Business School in 2005. He graduated with an advanced diploma certificate in Sports and Leisure Management. In 2008, Lewis completed his degree in Sports Management from University of Wolverhampton.
Lewis is married to Jenny Lam, a former flight stewardess. Together they have a daughter named Jennel Larissa.
Appearing as one of the guest celebrity on the advertisement for Suzuki cup, he was portray as the pride of Asia as he is the first S'porean to train with Premiership club's Manchester City first team.
Endorsements
In 2010, Lionel signed a contract with Puma, after previously being sponsored by Adidas.Lionel's partnership with YEO’S blossomed over the years and soon he became the ambassador of H-TWO-O and has been actively involved in their advertising campaigns. He is the first S.League player to be featured in a TV commercial which was produced outside of Singapore.
Lionel is also one of the brand ambassadors of Europe's leading sports nutrition company, Maximuscle, here in Singapore.