Young Lions Football Club, commonly known as Young Lions, is a developmental football club based in Kallang, Singapore, which competes in the Singapore Premier League. The team is under the control of the Football Association of Singapore.
Young Lions are one of the few football clubs in the world made up of young Singaporean footballers serving their compulsory two-year national service, which places an age restriction on team members while playing in a top-flight professional league. Players are on loan from several local Singapore Premier League clubs, and would spend two years with the side before returning.
Young Lions play their home matches at the Jalan Besar Stadium. Their best league finish was third, which they achieved in 2004 and 2006.
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History
By entering the Young Lions into the S.League, the FAS hopes to expose young players to top-level competition, thus helping to prepare them for international tournaments such as the Southeast Asian Games. While the bulk of the Young Lions squad is made up of members of Singapore's national under-23 team, the club also takes in promising young foreign players (e.g. Luka Savić). However, foreign players are normally only recruited into the Young Lions squad if they could potentially change their nationality to Singaporean and be eligible to play international football for Singapore at some point in the future.
Malaysian domestic competition
In 2011, the Football Association of Singapore and the Football Association of Malaysia reached an agreement that would see greater cooperation between the two nations. One of the intended avenues would see Young Lions play in the Malaysian Super League and Malaysia Cup from 2012. The squad will be permitted up to five local players over the age of 14–16 players, as well as a number of overseas players in accordance with the quota set out by the rules of the Malaysian competitions. Ultimately, a new team was created, the LionsXII, while the Young Lions remained in the S.League.
National Football Academy
Most of the Young Lions players come from the NFA (National Football Academy) and new players (from the NFA) will be promoted to the Young Lions squad every season.
The National Football Academy enters both the Singapore NFA U-17 and Singapore NFA U-18 teams into the Prime League to allow their players to gain more exposure and match experience by playing against older and more established players.
Foreign players
In 2023, Young Lions signed the Japanese duo Jun Kobayashi and Kan Kobayashi from Albirex Niigata (S) becoming the first foreign players since France's Benjamin Bertrand from Tours in 2016. In preparation for the 2024–25 Singapore Premier League season, Young Lions signed two additional Japanese players, Kaisei Ogawa and Itsuki Enomoto, and the Australian Rashid Hayek from Western United, making it the first time the club had five foreigners in the squad. On 28 March 2025, Young Lions recorded their highest ever win during the 2024–25 Singapore Cup fixtures against Albirex Niigata (S) where Kaisei Ogawa became the second players in the club history to score four goals in one match since Zikos Chua against Tanjong Pagar United on 7 August 2022.
After a reshuffle in the Football Association of Singapore seeing Forrest Li as the FAS new president in 2025, Young Lions saw a major overhaul in the club during the 2025–26 season where they signed a new partnership with Denmark manufacturing company Select, ending a deal with Nike after 17 years. The club also got a main sponsor for the front of their jersey with Chinese state-owned automobile company, Dongfeng. Young Lions also went on to sign a few youngsters from Brazil, including Abner Vinicius, Joilson, Lucas Agueiro and Sérgio Mendonça while they loaned a few under-21 foreign players from Lion City Sailors, such as Enrico Walmrath, Harry Spence and Benjamin Žerak. Needing an experience local players in the squad, Young Lions than recruited Izwan Mahbud and Abdil Qaiyyim Mutalib to strengthen the team.
In the 2026–27 season, Young Lions focus their attention on recruiting Japanese players where they would sign Shuya Yamashita, Miyu Sato, Daisuke Sakai, Toi Kagami and Hisatoshi Nishido. The club also signed EFL League Two player Kai Whitmore, who previously played for Newport County. Young Lions than recruited experience local player, Hafiz Nor to strengthen the team midfield.
Stadium
Young Lions have played at the Jalan Besar Stadium since their inception of participating in the S.League. The stadium can hold a seating capacity of 8,000. In 2012, As part of the LionsXII's sponsorship by Kingsmen, a local fan club, the King George's Stand was built using a removable stand, increasing the stadium's capacity to 10,000.
On 30 October 2012, an LED scoreboard was implemented at the Gallery stand to provide better quality video to the spectators, allowing replay video highlights of the action on the field during matchdays. Two new screens were also placed at the two ends of the Grandstand, North and South, to enable better match experience for the Gallery fans.
Kit suppliers and naming history
Young Lions kit was manufactured by local brand Tiger who than collaborate with Italian sportswear Diadora. The club was than sponsor by Japanese brand Maxell. In 2008, Young Lions alongside the Singapore national team kit was than manufactured by Nike. From 2011, Young Lions was sponsored by Courts where the club began to change it name to Courts Young Lions until 2015 where they was than sponsored by Garena thus changing the name to Garena Young Lions until 2017.
In August 2025, Young Lions signed a deal with Danish sportswear Select ending a 17 years contract with Nike. The club also partners with Chinese state-owned automobile company, Dongfeng, as the club main sponsor. In October 2026, Young Lions announced Playback as their official sleeve sponsor.
Players
First-team squad
As of 13 September 2026
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
'B' squad
As of 13 September 2026
The Young Lions B squad compromise players mostly active representing the team in the Singapore Premier League 2
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Management and staff
Source:
Foreign players history
Records and statistics
As of 26 May 2026 after the 2025–26 season conclude.
Team records
Biggest wins
7–1 vs Sinchi on 23 September 2004
7–1 vs Albirex Niigata (S) on 28 March 2025
Heaviest Defeats
1–10 vs Lion City Sailors (13 August 2022)
Youngest goal scorer
Khairin Nadim, 16 years 6 months and 9 days (On 17 November 2020 vs Tampines Rovers)
Oldest goal scorer
Khairul Amri, 31 years 6 months and 11 days (On 1 April 2023 vs Geylang International)
Youngest debutant
Raoul Suhaimi, 15 years 7 months 27 days (15 May 2021 vs Albirex Niigata (S))
Personal awards
Domestic
League Young Player of the Year
Hariss Harun (2010)
Others
People's Choice Award
Agu Casmir (2004)
Khairul Amri (2006)
Safuwan Baharudin (2011)
Season by season record
2003 saw the introduction of penalty shoot-outs if a match ended in a draw in regular time. Winners of penalty shoot-outs gained two points instead of one.