Aleksandar Duric: An Inspiration

From Sleague.com

So said Aleksandar Duric, minutes after he had received his 300 Goals Award for reaching that milestone this season, in the process becoming the first player in the history of the S.League to do so.

Never mind 300 goals in the same league, many of the greatest strikers in the world never managed 300 goals throughout their club career. Diego Maradona, Gary Lineker, Juergen Klinsmann, Jean-Pierre Papin, Marco van Basten - all had crossed the 200-goal mark, but none had made it to the next level.

Duric could thus be excused for being surprised at his own achievement - more so when you realise just how much consistency he has shown along the way, and still more so when you bear his age in mind.

He is currently the oldest player in the S.League at 40 full years and counting, and even the Great Eastern-YEO'S S.League Awards Night 2010 presenters quipped that he has passed his expiry date.

But he has definitely defied all expectations and silenced his critics time after time, and all signs suggest he still has much more to offer.

Having made his first foray into Singapore football with Tanjong Pagar United in 1999, Duric hit the 100-goal mark in 2003 while with Geylang United, and made the 200-goal milestone in 2007 in the colours of SAFFC.

If that works out to 100 goals every four years, he has done impressively to beat that the third time around, taking only three years to hit the magical 300.

At an age when most footballers are expected to be out of the game already because their bodies have slowed down, just how did the man born in the old Yugoslavia keep himself in such top shape?

"This kind of thing is all in the mind," he told sleague.com.

"Honestly, I feel really good. I really feel well in the past few years, and I always feel great standing with my teammates.

"It helps of course to have good teammates around you to give you a good pass or a good ball. It is also hard work, it is not easy, but it is always about passion."

Passion Duric definitely has in spades, which explains why he is still in the game, probably just as hungry as he was when he first started his football career as a 22-year-old in his homeland.

But that strong love for the game was mixed with a good dose of level-headed reasonableness, the kind that prevented Duric from dreaming of the improbable - like being a goal machine par excellence - until it became seriously possible.

"If somebody told me in my first year, when I joined Tanjong Pagar in 1999, that I would score 300 goals, I would probably say you are crazy," he said, only half in jest.

"But it would be great if there would be somebody who will break this record one day."

The record would take some breaking, seeing that the player with the next highest tally who is currently still playing is Indra Sahdan Daud, who will turn 32 in March - and he has not even breached the 200-goal mark.

The simple truth is that Duric has already made it something of a habit to break records, although he is certainly not obsessed with garnering personal achievements.

For instance, he was remarkably gracious about not winning his fourth straight Top Scorer Award this season, after he had missed out on it by the most slender of margins.

That accolade went to Etoile FC forward Frederic Mendy, who was his strike partner in this year's Sultan of Selangor's Cup and had scored 21 times in the league compared to his 20.

Far from being upset about missing out on a chance to equal the record held by Mirko Grabovac, the Tampines Rovers man was happy to pass the baton on.

"I was looking forward to a new top scorer in the S.League and he (Mendy) scored this many goals," he commented.

"But of course it is a record to be broken, so we shall see what happens."

Whatever happens, however, the two-time Player of the Year appears to have decided when he is going to call time on his career.

He has already indicated that 2011 will see him fully concentrate on helping his club regain the S.League title they had last won in 2004, while the upcoming AFF Suzuki Cup will mark his final international appearance, just three years after he had debuted for Singapore.

"Definitely, that will be the last one, so I am looking forward to it," he said.

"I think we have a really good team this year. This is one of the most experienced teams Singapore has for so long. We definitely have a good chance to be in the final, and I am looking forward to playing in the final."

But even if he does stop turning out for the Lions, how long can he stretch his club career?

"Not too long, not too long, trust me!" exclaimed Duric.

"Hopefully one more season. I have one more season's contract with Tampines, so I think that will be it."

When the day comes for Duric to retire, it will definitely be a sad moment for fans of the man who had also won the People's Choice Award in 2007.

As idolised as he is, though, he also remembered to pass on advice on how others too can emulate him and gain a high standing for themselves.

If there is anything any aspiring footballers ought to take away from the man himself, that will definitely be his undying love and commitment to the game, and the professionalism to be a good team player, something that has come to the fore especially at Tampines.

"I sacrificed a lot of things in my life," he noted.

"It is important that you have to be always in top shape, try your best in all the games, and show hard work. It is also most important that the team comes first. I am just a part of the team, and my job is to score goals and win games with the team."

Duric did not forget to pay tribute to all the clubs he had played for in Singapore, which have helped to shape him into who he is today.

"All the clubs I played for, from Tanjong Pagar, Home United, Geylang, SAFFC, and now Tampines, these are all big clubs in the S.League. So it helped a lot, because all these clubs push you to achieve the best from you."

Always intent to exceed expectations of himself, even his own, and always willing to go the extra mile for his teammates - that is the image of Aleksandar Duric that will always live on in the minds of those who have witnessed his work.

An inspiration to those who have played alongside him over the years, just how big a legend he will be in time to come is surely beyond anyone's imagination.