THREE years ago, Shahrel Fikri Fauzi cried and thought his football career was over when doctors said he had a heart problem. But national coach Nelo Vingada has given the Perak SEDC striker some heartwarming news.
Shahrel, who made Vingada’s training squad, has a minor heart valve leak, but is certified by FA of Malaysia’s (FAM) sports science department to play in the Premier League.
A leaky valve can cause health problems that could be minor or serious, depending how much it interferes with blood flow through the heart. It can cause congestive heart failure if the problem is severe.
Whether the 23-year-old Shahrel is taking a huge risk by playing professionally remains to be seen but the forward has been exceptional for Perak SEDC with 16 goals to date.
Shahrel, who can play in any position in attack, was dropped from the now-defunct Young Tigers B team, then coached by Razip Ismail, when he was first diagnosed with the problem three years ago.
This year, four footballers died during training or matches due to heart problems. They were Ivory Coast’s Moise Brou Apanga and Cheick Tiote, Motswana’s Gofaone Tiro and Ethiopia’s Aseged Tesfaye.
Vingada, however, is unperturbed over Shahrel’s heart problem.
“I am not sure about his condition. However, I believe he is okay as he has been playing regularly in the Premier League,” said Vingada yesterday.
“Teams need to provide medical reports of their players to the authorities for clearance to play in a football league.
“In football, health is paramount and I am sure Shahrel has gone through all the necessary tests to play professionally.
“I have watched him play and I like what I have seen in him. If he is playing regularly for his club, it means he is fit as a fiddle.”
Perak SEDC coach Abu Bakar Fadzim said Shahrel was young when the heart problem was first detected.
“Shahrel has been with me since 2011 in the youth and President’s Cup squads.
“We tested him again last year (for the FAM Cup) and this year, the results were good.
“Shahrel plays regularly for us, but of course, at times he takes two or three seconds to recover from high intensity situations during a match,” said Abu Bakar.
Shahrel is the only striker in the national training squad who plays regularly for his club. The other two strikers in Vingada’s training squad are Darul Ta’zim’s Ahmad Hazwan Bakri and Darren Lok.
Vingada said: “Shahrel is one of the best goal scorers in the Premier League. He is not only fast but also good with headers and in game play.
“I know that the level is completely different in the Premier League, but Shahrel has quality and talent, and I will see how it goes in friendly matches ahead of the Asian Cup qualifying match against Hong Kong next month.”