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Lionel Lewis

Lionel Lewis (born 16 December 1982) is a professional Singaporean footballer who currently plays as the goalkeeper for Singapore's national squad and local club Home United FC. Lewis is known for his hulky frame, remarkable shot-saving abilities and ferocious presence in goal. However, he conceded a goal from a corner kick while playing against Uzbekistan in a WCQ on 02 June 2008.

A police officer by profession, he is a goalkeeper for Home United FC (which is affiliated to the Singapore Police Force) in the current season. Prior to that, he played for Geylang United FC.

While playing for Singapore in the 2006 King's Cup against Thailand, he was knocked unconscious after a horrific clash with Thai forward, Kiatisuk Senamuang. Post-match medical report indicated that the injury was not serious.

Lewis was nominated for the prestigious 2006 Asian Footballer of the Year award, making him the only ASEAN player and only goalkeeper among the nominees and the first Singapore nominee in the Award’s 13-year history.

Early life

A graduate of Nanyang Polytechnic, Lewis later studied at Novation Business School in 2005. He graduated with an advanced diploma certificate in Sports and Leisure management.

Club career

Lewis is currently with the Home United. The 1.86m tall keeper has played in three SEA Games – 2001, 2003 and 2005 - and made his senior debut for the country at 19 in a 2-0 friendly win over the Maldives on 9 April 2002.

Lionel started his career with Geylang United and joined Young Lions in 2003 and was "loaned" to the Protectors for their AFC campaign for 2004. The lanky goalie with a huge following made his debut for the Lions in 2002. However, he only managed to grab the "no.18" jersey from fellow keeper Hassan Sunny in 2004 and since then, he has been a regular goalkeeper in international tournaments.

The 24 year old Lionel Lewis is the difference between Home United FC and the other teams. Balestier Khalsa FC coach, Abdul Karim Razzak, described Lionel as "a goalkeeper that can win 20 points for his team in a season".

He has made a total number of 157 club appearances as of May 2007.

International career

Lewis represented the Singapore national team in the Tiger Cup, South-east Asia's premier football tournament. Lewis made his name in Tiger Cup 2004, when his impeccable performances between the sticks helped Singapore to a memorable triumph. He was subsequently named the tournament’s MVP award for his performance during the Cup.

Lionel has so far earned 46 national caps.