Former Lions defender Faritz Hameed has unleashed a video about why he decided to retire from football earlier this year.
The 33-year-old alleged in a TikTok video how his former club, Tanjong Pagar United, chose not to renew his contract after he was injured in the last match of the 2022 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season.
The TikTok video was posted on 2 October at about 2pm, and Faritz just made references to the “club I was playing for” without naming them.
“This is the s***** part about being a professional footballer,” he said.
“In the last year of my contract, I got injured in the last game of the season against Tampines Rovers.
“I tore my ankle ligament and my bone chipped off.
“Just imagine how severe it was and this happened in October 2022.
“My treatment got delayed and my contract ended.”
But unfortunately, Faritz added that the Jaguars did not renew his contract, alleging that it was due to his injury and that he would be out for six months.
“The club I was playing for didn’t want to renew my contract stating that I was going to be out for the next six months,” he said.
“I ask you, do you think it is fair for me?”
In a comment later on this post, Faritz later said that the club did pay for his medical fees, and also “resigned” him a few months later.
Faritz spent three seasons with Tanjong Pagar United, having joined them in 2020, after stints with Geylang International and Home United.
The match against Tampines Rovers during which he sustained his injury took place on 20 October 2022 at Our Tampines Hub.
The match ended 4-3 in Tampines’ favour and Faritz was removed from the field of play in the 79th minute.
He added that it was this factor that led him to take on a new career.
“Being a club captain and an experienced player playing for the past 15 years and being treated this way, I thought enough is enough and I move on with my life.”
Faritz is currently a property agent with ERA.
This is not the first time that Faritz has voiced his opinion about the state of the game in Singapore.
In 2021, he also shared how the SPL’s rules on the use of under-23 footballers was killing the livelihoods of footballers in Singapore.
A member of the 2013 Lions XII side which won the Malaysian Super League, Faritz was capped 33 times at the international level, and also has two Southeast Asian Games bronze medals to his name.
Watch his TikTok video.
MAIN PHOTOS: SPL/FARITZ HAMEED
NOTE: STORY UPDATED AT 5.10PM