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Singapore national team and LionsXII defender Safuwan Baharudin has signed with Melbourne City FC in the A-League on a three-month loan until the end of the Australian season. The 23-year-old joined the club on a training stint to Abu Dhabi earlier this month and played in two friendly matches against Al-Jazira and FC Dnipro. Touted as one of Singapore's brightest footballing talents, Safuwan already has 43 international caps and two goals under his belt despite only making his international debut in 2010. Speaking after putting pen to paper with his new club, Safuwan said: "I am very pleased and excited to be joining Melbourne City for the rest of the current A-League season. "When this opportunity came, I told myself that I had to go all out because this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance that may never come again. "I worked very hard, and I am very happy that the coaches were pleased with what they saw. I am also very appreciative of the club management, officials and players for making me feel welcome during the training stint in Abu Dhabi. I enjoyed the experience very much, and got along well with the other players." Safuwan's departure will leave a huge gap in the LionsXII defence ahead of the 2015 Malaysian Super League (MSL) season which begins on Saturday with the Charity Shield between JDT and Pahang. Head coach Fandi Ahmad will now have to rely on Afiq Yunos and Madhu Mohana as his first choice central defensive pairing while new recruits Wahyudi Wahid and Faris Azienuddin will act as backups. Although sorry to see his long-time teammate go, LionsXII midfielder Raihan Rahman was delighted when told that Safuwan would become the first Singaporean to appear in the A-League. Raihan said: "I have played alongside Safuwan for many years and he is definitely one of the best defenders in the region. I'm very happy for him and I hope he goes to the A-League and show what he is made of. We will miss him so hope to play on the same team again soon!" The LionsXII finished a disappointing eighth in the MSL last year but are hoping to mount a stronger challenge this season now that the likes of Shahdan Sulaiman and Sahil Suhaimi have joined the club.
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