Lestienne aims to end stint with 100 assists for Sailors

Since arriving in Singapore in 2022, the Lion City Sailors’ mercurial winger Maxime Lestienne has enthralled local football fans with his sublime skills and ability to conjure something out of nothing.

- Jeremiah Ong

As the 33-year-old winds down his stint here, he has offered a final reminder of the output and trademark creativity that will soon be sorely missed in the Sailors' ranks.

In his penultimate game for the Singapore Premier League (SPL) club on Dec 17, the Belgian registered a goal and an assist as the Sailors beat Myanmar’s Shan United 3-2 in the Asean Club Championship.

That came just three days after he notched a hat-trick of assists in a 4-1 first-leg rout of Balestier Khalsa in the Singapore Cup semifinals.

Ahead of his final match for the Sailors - the semifinal, second leg at Jalan Besar Stadium on Dec 20 - he is eyeing another statistic to end his Singapore stint on a perfect note.

"I am up to 97 assists. I still have one more game to reach 100. It will be difficult, but I will try my best to do it," he told The Straits Times.

Lestienne’s contract expires at the end of December. While the club were keen to extend his stay, he has decided to return home to be closer to his family after having plied his trade abroad for many years.