Uncle Shahril faces off against nephew Irfan
Home's Shahril feels proud as he watches Tampines' Irfan flourish
From the age of 11, Irfan Najeeb would often watch from the stands as his uncle, ex-national skipper Shahril Ishak performed his duty with distinction for both club and country.
Since then, Irfan has dreamed of following in his uncle's footsteps as a professional footballer.
Fast forward eight years, and the now 19-year-old has taken one step closer to realising his dream after signing a part-time contract with Singapore Premier League (SPL) club Tampines Rovers this season.
| HOME UNITED | TAMPINES ROVERS |
The defender has begun impressively in the SPL, making eight starts in 14 games and scoring two goals, including the winner against Balestier Khalsa in May.
The third-year electrical engineering student at Singapore Polytechnic credits his meteoric rise to Shahril, saying: "My uncle has been a real role model for me since I was 11 or 12, when I started watching his games.
"Since then, I've been inspired by him to become a professional footballer."
Throughout Irfan's time as a national youth footballer, Shahril has played the role of supportive uncle and mentor by occasionally turning up for his games and offering pointers.
The two enjoy a close relationship and they see each other at least once or twice a week at family gatherings.
For Shahril, who now plies his trade at Home United, watching his nephew flourish has been a proud moment for him, though he warns against complacency.
The 34-year-old told The New Paper: "I'm proud to be his uncle and he has done well, and everyone in the family looks up to him for following his uncle.
"However, I would say that he also needs to put his feet on the ground and remain focused."
NO SMILES
Last week, the two faced off against each other for the first time when Tampines pipped Home 1-0 in a rescheduled fixture at Our Tampines Hub.
Said Irfan: "I was very excited to play against Shahril, but I was very shocked when he didn't even smile when we were doing the handshake."
For Shahril, who is always a picture of concentration during matches, family relations had to take a back seat for 90 minutes, as will be the case this Sunday when both sides clash again.
Third-placed Home will be hoping to further reduce the gap on second-placed Tampines.
The Protectors are just four points behind the Stags after defeating Warriors FC 2-0 on Wednesday, while Tampines lost 2-0 to Brunei DPMM.
Irfan believes that Tampines will be able to bounce back quickly, saying: "The next game is a very important one and everyone is focused."
With the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup Asean zone final against Philippine side Ceres Negros looming early next month, Shahril insisted that Home will remain focused and will not be neglecting the domestic front.
He said: "We still want to get as many points as we can in the SPL. Sunday's match is a big game featuring two of the nation's best teams, and we will be putting in 110 per cent for it."
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