Football allows young Eagle's pro dreams to take off

Geylang International Under-17 centre-back S.C. Denilson has always dreamt of playing in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) and representing Singapore at the National Stadium.

- Deepanraj Ganesan

But his ultimate ambition is to play professionally overseas.

For the Singaporean teenager, it is not just about football, but also discovering a world beyond the Republic's borders through the sport.

On Nov 14, clutching his passport and boarding pass at Changi Airport, Denilson saw that dream take flight.

The 17-year-old ITE College East student is one of 18 youth players from Geylang's U-17 and U-15 teams who have flown to Japan for a training stint at J3 League club Matsumoto Yamaga till Nov 25.

Denilson, who is unsure of the origin of his name, which he shares with the Brazilian 2002 World Cup winner, said he could not contain his happiness when he found out about the trip.

He added: "I was so excited but also very nervous because it is my first flight and I did not know what to expect.

"But after those initial feelings, I thought about how I want to see where I stand against the Japanese players and also hopefully try to impress scouts there. Who knows? Maybe if I do well enough, I can even earn a future contract there."

While it is common for his peers to fly overseas for holidays, he has not been able to enjoy that luxury.