Nationality: German

DOB/Age: 25 February 1992 (33)

Previous Clubs: Werder Bremen (2010-2012, 2016-2018), FC St. Pauli (2012-2016, loan – 2017), VVV-Venlo (loan – 2017-2018), BB Erzurumspor (2018), PEC Zwolle (2019-2020, 2022-2024), Sparta Rotterdam (2020-2022)

Renowned for his astute positioning and relentless pressing, Lennart promises to inject a fresh dynamic into the Sailors’ offensive play. With over 200 appearances in Dutch football, including 173 in the top-tier Eredivisie, he possesses genuine European pedigree.

His goal-scoring prowess is evident through his tally of 54 goals across three different clubs – PEC Zwolle, VVV-Venlo, and Sparta Rotterdam – from 2017 to 2024. Lennart, who has also represented Germany at the Under-20 level, previously played in the top two German divisions before making the move to the Netherlands in 2017.

His most storied and unique achievements was winning the 2018 FIFA Fair Play Award. He received the accolade after making a blood donation to facilitate a stem cell transplant for a leukaemia patient, missing a game for VVV-Venlo against PSV Eindhoven in the process. The selfless act garnered widespread praise, and prompted a surge in donors stepping forward to contribute in the Netherlands.

Nationality: Dutch

DOB/Age: 29 June 1996 (29)

Previous Clubs: FC Utrecht (2014-2016, 2019-2023), PSV Eindhoven (2016-2019)

Having honed his craft in the Dutch Eredivisie for around a decade, Bart is an exciting acquisition for the Sailors in the recent off-season. A versatile attacking midfielder who has the ability to play on either flank, or centrally in between the lines, he adds depth to the Sailors’ attack with his acceleration and superb playmaking ability.

He rose to prominence as a technically supreme midfield playmaker with PSV, winning the 2017/18 Eredivisie title and featuring in the UEFA Champions League with the Dutch giants. He had two spells with Utrecht, accumulating 130 domestic league appearances for them, before making the move to Singapore in February 2024.

Bart has also been capped thrice at international level with Holland – this includes a start in their 3-1 World Cup qualifying win over Luxembourg in November 2016, where he played alongside the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Wesley Sneijder, Georginio Wijnaldum and Arjen Robben.

Nationality: Portuguese

DOB/Age: 22 March 1998 (27)

Previous Clubs: FC Porto B (2016-2019), Troyes (2019-2022), FC Paços de Ferreira (2021-2022 – loan, 2022-2023)

Rui is a defensive midfielder who spent a large portion of his youth career progressing through the ranks at FC Porto, featuring in their Under-15, U17 and U19 sides.

He was promoted to Porto’s B side to play in Liga Portugal 2, the second tier of Portuguese football, before moving permanently to French Ligue 2 side Troyes. After two seasons there, the midfielder moved back to play in the Portuguese top tier, the Primeira Liga, on loan with FC Paços de Ferreira before the deal was made permanent.

Rui previously captained Portugal’s national age-group sides on a regular basis and was called up till the U20 level. In 2017, he put up a solid display throughout the UEFA European Under-19 Championship, earning him a place in the Team of the Tournament.

After making six appearances for the Sailors in the 2023/24 AFC Champions League campaign, he is looking forward to make his mark domestically for the club in the coming Singapore Premier League season.

Nationality: Australian

DOB/Age: 28 July 1992 (33)

Previous Clubs: Preston North End (2010-2017), Bristol City (2017-2020), Sunderland (2020 – loan, 2020-2023), Rotherham United (2023 – loan)

Bailey is an Australian international, who was a part of Australia’s 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign in Qatar that saw the Socceroos qualify from a group that featured France, Denmark and Tunisia, before falling to Lionel Messi’s Argentina, the eventual tournament winners, in the Round of 16.

An old-school robust centre-back who wears on his heart on his sleeve, he is undoubtedly one of the leading figures of the team and is a perfect role model for the younger players in the squad.

Bailey joined the Sailors in the SPL mid-season transfer window after departing Sunderland, where he was a cult hero of the Black Cats’ faithful during his three-and-a-half years on Wearside. Those years saw Sunderland enjoy much success, winning their first trophy since 1973 as they lifted the 2020/21 Papa John’s Trophy (EFL) at Wembley, before earning promotion into the English second-tier – the Sky Bet Championship – in 2022.

Nationality: Singaporean

DOB/Age: 22 August 1988 (37)

Previous Clubs: Tanjong Pagar United (2011, 2012-2013), Home United (2012, 2018-2019), Geylang International (2014-2015), Warriors FC (2016-2017)

Well-known as a speed merchant, Hafiz forged himself a reputation as a dangerous and tricky winger in his younger days. He has since done well to transform himself into a steady and committed full-back, who is capable of putting in crunching tackles as well as whipping in dangerous crosses from his flank.

Now the senior statesman at the Sailors, Hafiz is still going strong and enjoys the opportunity to impart his knowledge to the younger ones at the club. Having played for the club 91 times between 2020 to 2023, the veteran is now close to becoming the first player to make a century of appearances for the Sailors.

Nationality: Singaporean

DOB/Age: 16 June 2001 (24)

Previous Clubs: Young Lions (2019-2022)

Rasaq had a spectacular first season with the Sailors, scoring a career-high 10 goals to finish as the Singapore Premier League’s joint-top local scorer along with teammate Shawal Anuar in 2023.

Having shown potential from a young age, representing Singapore at various youth levels and scoring in his first year as a full-fledged professional in 2019, his career was curtailed slightly due to National Service but he has since returned strongly.

Rasaq sparkled towards the end of 2022, scoring five goals across two competitions for the Young Lions before moving to the Sailors the following year.

With a rising reputation as one of the best young strikers in the country, he is determined to kick on in this coming campaign as he looks to achieve his dream of representing the senior Singapore national team.

Nationality: Singaporean

DOB/Age: 21 February 1997 (28)

Previous Clubs: Young Lions (2016-2019), Tanjong Pagar United (2021-2022)

A reliable custodian who has astute command of his area and possesses the agility to pull off stunning point-blank saves, Zharfan joined the Sailors in 2023 after a breakout 2022 campaign for Tanjong Pagar United that saw him make the highest numbers of saves (122) across the league.

Overcoming a childhood heart condition to make his professional debut in 2016, he has come a long way to become one of the country’s up-and-coming goalkeepers. The confident Zharfan has ambitions of being Singapore’s no. 1 and knows that solid performances for the Sailors provide the platform for him to attain that lofty goal.

Nationality: Singaporean

DOB/Age: 28 November 1992 (33)

Previous Clubs: Tampines Rovers (2014, 2016, 2022), LionsXII (2015), Young Lions (2016), Home United (2017-2018), Geylang International (2019-2021)

Comfortable with either foot and on either flank, Chris’ versatility makes him a quality acquisition for the Sailors ahead of the 2023 campaign. The self-professed late bloomer has come a long way since making his name in local football reality TV series, FirstXI, in 2014.

He flourished for LionsXII in the 2015 Malaysia Super League, grew into a dependable first-team player over the years for various clubs, before a standout 2022 campaign for Tampines saw him become one of the first names on the team sheet for the Singapore National Team. Chris is undoubtedly at the peak of his powers now, as he lines up for the Sailors’ charge for a first Singapore Premier League title since 2021.

Nationality: Singaporean

DOB/Age: 29 April 1991 (34)

Previous Clubs: Geylang International (2014-2019), Hougang United (2020-2022)

A rare talent who was nurtured in and plucked from Singapore’s amateur leagues, Shawal’s stock has risen in recent years – and sharply so.

Shawal is undoubtedly one of Singapore’s top forwards at the moment. In 2022 he combined flair with trickery and a keen eye for goal, scoring a career-high 11 Singapore Premier League goals to inspire Hougang United to their first-ever trophy last season – the Singapore Cup.

That earned him the big move to the Sailors in 2023 and he played a crucial part in the Sailors’ first-ever Singapore Cup triumph, scoring six times – including a match-clinching strike in the final against his former employers to help the club finish the year with silverware.

Nationality: Belgian

DOB/Age: 17 June 1992 (33)

Previous Clubs: Mouscron (2008-2009), Brugge (2010-2014), Genoa (2014-2015 – loan), PSV (2015-2016 – loan), Rubin Kazan (2016-2018), Málaga (2018 – loan), Standard Liège (2018-2022)

In just two seasons in the Singapore Premier League (SPL), Maxime has already staked a claim for being the best-ever SPL import player.

In 2022, he was the league’s top-assist maker with 23 to go with 12 league goals. Then in 2023, he picked up the SPL Player of the Year gong after 25 goals and 21 assists saw him top both the SPL’s goal-scoring and assist charts, while playing a starring role in the club’s first Singapore Cup triumph.

Magic Max’s next target? To win his first-ever SPL title with the club.

Capped at all Belgian youth levels, as part of the country’s Golden Generation alongside the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Dries Mertens and Romelu Lukaku, Maxime has proven pedigree at the highest level of the game.

Being a part of PSV Eindhoven’s 2015/16 UCL squad that qualified for the Round of 16 at the expense of Manchester United and made several appearances in European top-tier competitions for various clubs, the attacker is now happily settled in Singapore and is hungry to achieve even more with the Sailors.