AFC Asian Cup-winning striker Tadanari Lee has joined Tampines Rovers FC as the club’s new sporting director, the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ Group A leaders have confirmed.
The former Japan and Southampton FC striker, whose extra-time goal earned his nation a record fourth AFC Asian Cup title in Qatar in 2011 with victory over Australia, will also serve as the club’s vice chairman.
“I just want to give everything and that is why I became director and vice chairman,” said Lee, who also played for Kashiwa Reysol, Urawa Red Diamonds and Sanfrecce Hiroshima. “I want to take responsibility and help the club in the future.
“We want to become the number one club in Singapore. We want to make our academy stronger. My first priority is to understand the team’s situation. I want to build strong foundations for Tampines Rovers and with everyone at the club we will share ideas.
“I was lucky to play in many different football environments and cultures, such as the J-League, EPL and even at the Olympics. These experiences taught me a lot of things. They also helped me work well with our players and coaches.
“I believe in open communication and want to share what I learned from those leagues to help the team succeed.”
Lee, who represented Japan at the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, spent the final season of his playing career in Singapore with Albirex Niigata (S) before retiring in 2023.
His hiring is another move by Tampines Rovers to further strengthen connections within Japanese football for a club that already has six players from the east Asian nation within their first team squad.
Tampines Rovers currently top the Group A standings in the Shopee Cup™ with six points from their first three matches, one more than second placed Selangor FC from Malaysia.
The club will resume their involvement in the competition against defending champions Buriram United FC in Singapore on January 28.
Photo: Tampines Rovers FC
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