Annil Vigneswaran (born 25 August 2003) is a Malaysian professional footballer who plays as a defender for German 3.Bundesliga club Waldhof Mannheim II .
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 25 August 2003 | ||
Place of birth | Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia | ||
Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
Position(s) | Centre-back, Defensive Midfielder | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Wardhof Mannheim ll | ||
Number | 24 | ||
Youth career | |||
AFC Ajax | |||
2021-2022 | SGV Freiberg | ||
2022 | Sandhausen | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2022–2023 | Freiburger II | 7 | (0) |
2023- | Wardhof Mannheim ll | ||
International career | |||
2021– | Malaysia U23 | 4 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Club career
editEarly life
editBorn in Kajang, Selangor, Vigneswaran first took an interest in football at the age of seven, with his father enrolling him in a Little League side, for players aged 5–16 across the Klang Valley.[1] At the age of ten, he spent one year with Dutch side Ajax, before returning to Malaysia to join the Kuala Lumpur Youth Soccer (KLYS) team.[1]
Move to Germany
editAt the age of fourteen, he was scouted by German side SGV Freiberg, and eventually moved to Germany to join the club.[1] In February 2022, he joined 2. Bundesliga side Sandhausen.[2]
For the 2022–23 season, he joined Oberliga Baden-Württemberg side Freiburger FC, but was assigned to the club's second team in the Landesliga Südbaden 2.[3]
International career
editIn October 2021, he received a surprise call up to the Malaysia national under-23 football team, having not attended any of the training camps in Malaysia.[4][5] This call up was criticised by fans, with then-coach Brad Maloney coming to Vigneswaran's defence, saying "assistant coach, Khan Hung Meng used to train this player before he went to Germany a few years ago and he was seen as a very talented player and since then, his performance has started to be monitored."[6]
References
edit- ^ a b c Yeun, Lynette (10 July 2021). "Annil's journey from the backwaters of Kajang to the dizzy heights at Ajax, Freiberg". thevibes.com. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
- ^ "Annil Vigneswaran naik pangkat, kini bersama SV Sandhausen di 2.Bundesliga Jerman" [Annil Vigneswaran moved up the ranks, now with SV Sandhausen in the German 2.Bundesliga]. harimaumalaya.com.my (in Malay). 28 February 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
- ^ "Oberliga player squad 2022/23". ffc.de (in German). Retrieved 19 January 2023.
- ^ Azharie, Farah (22 October 2021). "Annil out to silence critics". nst.com.my. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
- ^ Nor, Suryati Mohd (9 March 2022). "Annil korban usia remaja berkelana di Eropah, "You can do it if your mind says yes"" [Anil, a teenage victim, wanders around Europe, "You can do it if your mind says yes"]. cakapsukan.com. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
- ^ "Dikritik peminat, Vigneswaran tetap jadi taruhan Maloney" [Criticized by fans, Vigneswaran is still Maloney's bet]. majoriti.com.my (in Malay). 22 October 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2023.