28YO S’porean Footballer Quits Professional Football Due to a Heart Condition

By
Chew Ming Hui
-

Singaporean footballer Adam Swandi has retired from professional football due to a heart condition. Here’s everything you need to know about it.

Singaporean Footballer Adam Swandi Retires From Professional Football

On Tuesday (24 December), the Lion City Sailors announced 28-year-old footballer Adam Swandi’s retirement from professional football.

Adam also posted a video on Instagram officially announcing the same.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Adam Swandi (@adam_swandi)

In the post’s caption, the Lion City Sailors midfielder wrote: “For so many years, I have been blessed to live my dream and play this beautiful game I love at the highest level. It has been an honour to share this part of my life with all of you.”

“As I close this chapter, my love for the game and the memories I have created will forever hold a special place in my heart,” he added.

Why Adam Swandi is Retiring: A Heart Condition

The question is this — why did the footballer suddenly retire? Well, it’s because of a heart condition he was recently diagnosed with.

If you follow the local football scene, you would know that Adam was substituted at half-time during a Singapore Premier League (SPL) match with Tanjong Pagar United back in September.

After Adam scored his team’s second goal, he suddenly felt unwell while jogging back into position. He didn’t feel any better even when he started walking instead of jogging. Later, he stopped walking completely and still didn’t feel better.

As a result, he was substituted and subsequently conveyed to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.

Little did the 28-year-old know, that would be his final stint on the pitch for the Lion City Sailors.

While Adam’s condition stabilised after receiving medical attention, he was about to receive a more heart-wrenching piece of news. Upon consulting a private cardiologist and later getting a second opinion with the National Heart Centre Singapore, Adam was unfortunately diagnosed with cardiomyopathy.

Huh? Cardiomyopathy is simi?

In essence, cardiomyopathy is a condition where the heart muscle is weakened. This makes it harder for the heart to pump blood effectively.

You can see how that fits into professional football — it can’t; at least, not without high risks of a potentially fatal cardiac event. And that’s exactly what Adam was told as well.

Adam shared: “When I was told about the heart condition by the cardiologist, the club’s medical staff were there as well, and we asked whether there’s a way back to football. The answer was no.”

And that’s why the 28-year-old will be retiring from professional football. However, that does not mean that the footballer will be entirely exiting the football scene.

The Lion City Sailors have shared that Adam was exploring other opportunities within the club. While it’s unclear what exactly these other opportunities are, one thing is certain: this won’t be the last Singaporeans will see of Adam lah.

“As a club, we’re committed to giving him all the love and support he needs as he transitions into his post-football journey, and we hope he will continue contributing to the club in other capacities,” the Lion City Sailors chairman Forrest Li added.

Not the First Time a Professional Footballer Struggled in Their Career Due to Heart Conditions

Adam is not the only professional footballer who has faced struggles in their football career due to heart conditions.

In 2021, former Argentina and Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero retired for a similar reason. The player retired at the age of 33 due to a heart condition.

In 2021, Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch during the Euro 2020 game against Finland, after suffering a cardiac arrest.

“Having seen what happened to players like Christian Eriksen, it’s surreal to think that something like this could happen to me. I’m acutely aware of how lucky I am to still be alive,” Adam shared.

The Illustrious Career of Adam Swandi

In case you’re not one to keep up with football, we’ll have you know that Adam Swandi has had an illustrious career.

Back in the days when we used to have PSLE aggregate scores instead of AL scoring bands, Adam had achieved a PSLE aggregate score of 255. He could have opted for an academic route, but decided to pursue his sporting passion at the Singapore Sports School.

Singaporeans first took notice of Adam during his appearance at the 2011 Lion City Cup. The young footballer captained the Singapore Under-15s to a third-place finish.

Later on, at the 2012 Lion City Cup, Adam captained the Singapore Under-16s team.

But all that only brushed the surface of the footballer’s talents. He also went on several training stints with the academies of overseas clubs — clubs you’ve probably heard of even if you don’t follow the sporting scene. These clubs include Newcastle United, Atletico Madrid and FC Metz.

Adam signed a two-year contract with FC Metz in 2013. During his time there, he represented the club’s Under-19 team.

When his contract ran out, he returned to Singapore and joined the Young Lions in the SPL in 2015. He also played for Home United and Albirex Niigata, and was named the league’s Young Player of the Year in 2018.

The footballer later joined the Lion City Sailors during the club’s inception in 2020.

Adam has since made 93 appearances for the Lion City Sailors, winning the 2021 SPL, the 2023 Singapore Cup, and two Community Shield trophies. During his time with the club, he scored 11 goals and clocked 17 assists.

A rather impressive CV.

Of course, he’s also a national player lah, playing 22 times for the Singapore national team.

Reflecting on his journey, Adam said: “I feel accomplished. In the end, you only have yourself to be accountable for. I put in all my effort. To be able to survive in professional football from the age of 17 till now and stay relevant is a big accomplishment to me. I left nothing behind. I gave my all.”

If you watch at least 10 minutes of brain rot content daily, you must know this:

Read Also:

Advertisements
 
Chew Ming Hui
Email: [email protected]