From futsal games at age five to a professional football contract in Europe, Matin Ilhan is living the dream.
The 22-year-old Singaporean winger has signed with Portuguese team Leixões SC U23 for the 2025/2026 season, making him one of a growing number of young local talents taking their shot overseas.
The deal, sealed on 3 June 2025, marked a major step in his mission to represent Singapore at the SEA Games 2025.
“It’s every footballer’s dream to play in Europe,” Matin said.
“I’m grateful for this opportunity to grow and become a better player in Portugal.”
Matin’s football roots run deep.
He started out at LFA Academy and Chelsea FC Soccer School Singapore, before turning out for ACS International, Saint Gabriel’s, and the U21 squads of Tanjong Pagar United and Lion City Sailors.
In 2023, after earning a trial through Individual Football Training Asia (IFTA), he made the bold move to Portugal.
“Matin has impressed me with how quickly he has adapted to the intensity of Portuguese football.
“While he has the technical gift to excel, he has always supplemented that with hard work and eagerness to learn.” said André Castro, President of Leixões SC SAD.
But it wasn’t always smooth sailing.
As reported by Berita Harian, Matin’s parents were initially hesitant about his football ambitions.
His mother, Linda Sulaiman, a 51-year-old entrepreneur, admitted she wanted him to focus on academics, like most Singaporean parents.
Eventually, she and her husband, Mohamed Faizal Basheer, 53, also an entrepreneur, found a compromise: Matin would first need to complete his studies.
After earning a diploma in Sports Science from PSB Academy, Matin got the green light.
His father reached out to IFTA, which helped secure the Portugal trial that changed everything.
Life overseas hasn’t been easy.
Training is entirely in Portuguese, and Matin had to take extra language classes just to keep up.
Add cold weather, limited halal food, and long-distance homesickness and it’s clear the challenge went far beyond football.
These are the challenges he knows he must face in order to be recognised by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) to represent his country.
Still, he’s all in.
His family remains his biggest support system, proud of how far he’s come and how far he’s determined to go.
Now at Leixões SC, he joins a new generation of Singaporean players making their mark in Europe, including Nur Muhammad Asis, Khairin Nadim, Aymann Aris, Krishav Ram, and Jonan Tan.
PHOTOS: MATIN ILHAN INSTGRAM