SINGAPORE – When Ilhan Fandi last featured in the Singapore Premier League (SPL), he was named the Young Player of the Year after a 17-goal season where he played a major role in Albirex Niigata’s (now FC Jurong) 2022 title triumph.

More than three years later, the 23-year-old has returned to the SPL “hungrier than ever” following spells in Belgium and Thailand, having signed a two-year deal with defending champions Lion City Sailors.

In an interview with The Straits Times at the Sailors’ Mattar Road headquarters before his unveiling on July 20, Ilhan flashed his usual blinding grin.

Instead of the baby-face look of 2022, he now sports a moustache and stubble.

Asked for the difference between then and now, he said: “I think hungrier than ever because what I have in front of me is something special. I think there’s no better place. The environment here is amazing, top facilities, everything is there for you to perform at your best.

“I’m very motivated to come here and do well for Lion City Sailors and Singapore football, and also for my personal goals.”

With playing time a top priority, Ilhan turned down offers from Europe, Asia and Thailand – where he plied his trade in the previous season with Thai League 1 and FA Cup winners Buriram United.

It has not been smooth sailing for him since he left Singapore, first for the now defunct second-tier Belgian side KMSK Deinze in 2023, when he was recovering from a serious knee injury and struggled for minutes with the first team.

He also barely got game time when he joined Thai outfit BG Pathum United in July 2024 and managed only six league appearances with Buriram in the 2025-26 season.

But it was also in 2025 when Ilhan showed his game-changing ability for the Lions.

Coming on as a second-half substitute, he scored a goal and set up another during a 28-minute cameo as Singapore beat Hong Kong 2-1 away to seal a maiden Asian Cup ...