Aleksandar Duric's retirement letter

[LiuDeHua]

Aleksandar Duric's Letter: Thank you very much Singapore

Aleksandar Duric will retire on Oct. 31 having scored 376 goals and winning 16 domestic club titles at 15 clubs.

"It is hard to put my thoughts into one letter, but I needed to bid a proper farewell to my football family. The Singapore football family.

 

Friday will be one of the saddest days of my life. It is all coming to an end. A beautiful dream that I could never have imagined growing up as a boy from a small town in Doboj, Yugoslavia.

 

The moment the final whistle goes, I know the memories will start flooding into my mind, the hundreds of matches I played, the different goals I scored and the heartbreaking moments when my team lost.

ALEKSANDAR DURIC PROFILE

Born: Aug. 12, 1970

Position: Striker

Total domestic club football games played: 519

Total domestic club football goals: 376

International caps: 53

International goals: 24

 

I still remember when I first set foot in Singapore in 1999, I reported for training with Tanjong Pagar United FC at Queenstown Stadium and I asked one of my new teammates, "OK, so this is the training ground, so where is the stadium we play at?"

 

He stared at me blankly for a minute and we both couldn't stop laughing at my silly question that I am still embarrassed about today. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that, 16 years later at the young age of 44, I will end my career in the very same league with 321 goals, 16 domestic titles and eight individual awards.

 

While my club career was important to me, my proudest and biggest moment was when I received my Singapore citizenship in October 2007 and was called up by Coach Raddy [Radojko Avramovic] for the national team at the age of 37. I scored both goals in my first game against Tajikistan in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier on my debut. It still sends shivers down my spine when I talk about it now.

 

That will be etched in my mind as the proudest moment of my life, apart from the birth of my kids Isabella Nina, Alessandro Hugo and seeing my adopted son Massimo Luca Monty growing up each day.

 

Duric with his three kids Bella, Alessandro and Massimo when he won the S.League title back in 2013 .

 

I have enjoyed every single moment of this career and I cannot tell you how much emotions I have gone through. The sadness of losing league titles, to the joy of lifting my first ASEAN trophy with the Lions in 2012.

 

Having played for 15 different club sides, my 24 goals in 53 appearances for the national team will be my biggest take away from the game. I sweat blood and tears for Singapore, and I would give everything to do it all over again.

 

All I want now is for somebody to remember me as a decent player, who was humble both on and off the pitch, who tried my very best and gave everything to the clubs I played for and the pride I had wearing the Singapore jersey.

 

For the rest of my life, I will live another dream. The dream of giving back to the country that has given me so much. That is why I decided to adopt Massimo and I will now focus on helping Southeast Asian kids fulfill their dreams of playing professional football, scoring goals like I did and have a better life.

 

Please forgive me if I cannot hold back my tears on Friday night, but the emotions I am going to experience will be something I cannot describe.

 

It is hard to sum it all up in one sentence but I thank each and every one of the coaches, players and fans who have treated me like one of their own. For making my life so beautiful and rich in memories.

 

Now it is time for me to take my seat in the stands and cheer Singapore on and I am excited to finally have the chance to chant with the fans and do the Kallang wave as a die-hard supporter.

 

So with this, I sign off my football playing career and I ask of you to remember me, the tall old striker who loves Singapore, my home.

 

Thank you S.League, thank you Singapore and thank you my fellow Singaporeans. From a decent striker, a loving father and most importantly, a son of the Lion City."

 

Aleksandar Duric

Duric was speaking to ESPN FC's Kelvin Leong

 

[LiuDeHua]

Thank you for your contributions to the S-league.

 

If we had more players like yourself, the S-league will be alot more successful than today.

[Little_prince]

I was never a supporter of the Foreign player policy. but this is a very classy letter from a classy player.

[Wyfitms]

i don't follow the singapore team or even Duric's soccer career much

 

but his letter welled up my eyes

 

proud to say i am a fellow countryman of a sporting hero like him!

[Hamburger]

i met him in person once. Though he does not know me, he obliged willingly to take a pix with him.

 

 

He is an awesome guy!!!!

[Toothiewabbit]

Thank you Sir!

[Dankoo]

and he always has a knack of scoring goals...

[LiuDeHua]

Duric has a very long and interesting past.

 

Read it on Wiki. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandar_%C4%90uri%C4%87

[LiuDeHua]

http://blogs.thescore.com/counterattack/2012/01/19/horncastle-introducing-aleksandar-duric-the-worlds-most-prolific-goal-scorer/

 

Article from Jan-2012.

 

Did you know that Duric, with 336 goals in 459 games, is the most prolific goalscorer still active in professional football today? He is miles ahead of the competition too. His closest rivals are Maksim Gruznov of JK Trans Narva in Estonia who is on 298 goals in 451 games. Then there’s the great Rivaldo, who, as of last week was in talks with Kabuscorp in Angola after he was released by Sao Paulo. He is on 272 goals in 559 games.

 

[Count-Bracula]

So touching!

[Tonyhawk2]

thanks for the memories duric.

 

you are right up there with abbas and alistair.

[Macrosszero]

http://blogs.thescore.com/counterattack/2012/01/19/horncastle-introducing-aleksandar-duric-the-worlds-most-prolific-goal-scorer/

 

Article from Jan-2012.

 

Did you know that Duric, with 336 goals in 459 games, is the most prolific goalscorer still active in professional football today? He is miles ahead of the competition too. His closest rivals are Maksim Gruznov of JK Trans Narva in Estonia who is on 298 goals in 451 games. Then there’s the great Rivaldo, who, as of last week was in talks with Kabuscorp in Angola after he was released by Sao Paulo. He is on 272 goals in 559 games.

 

 

More from Wikipedia:

 

Outside of football, Đurić has been involved in charity work.^[84] He has been volunteering at a children's home for a decade. He adopted a son, Massimo Luca Monty when he was 7 days old from the children's home. In 2011, he ran the half-marathon race at theStandard Chartered Marathon alongside radio deejay Rod Monteiro and kinesiologist Dr Tan Swee Kheng to help raise S$12,000 for Sanctuary House, which provides foster care for children.^[90] In 2012, Đurić drove a taxi for 12 days to raise $2,657 for The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.^[91] He and his three kids also painted plastic doves that were sold in aid of the Dover Park Hospice in September 2013.^[92] He believes it is part of his "obligation to give something back to Singapore".^[84]

 

This is the kind of foreign talent that we need more of! Two thumbs up!

[Vegas]

Classy stuff...

compared to those AT PP players, he is legend

[Wyfitms]

 

More from Wikipedia:

 

Outside of football, Đurić has been involved in charity work.^[84] He has been volunteering at a children's home for a decade. He adopted a son, Massimo Luca Monty when he was 7 days old from the children's home. In 2011, he ran the half-marathon race at theStandard Chartered Marathon alongside radio deejay Rod Monteiro and kinesiologist Dr Tan Swee Kheng to help raise S$12,000 for Sanctuary House, which provides foster care for children.^[90] In 2012, Đurić drove a taxi for 12 days to raise $2,657 for The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.^[91] He and his three kids also painted plastic doves that were sold in aid of the Dover Park Hospice in September 2013.^[92] He believes it is part of his "obligation to give something back to Singapore".^[84]

 

This is the kind of foreign talent that we need more of! Two thumbs up!

 

class act

 

he is no longer a FT

 

he is one of us, a singaporean!

Duric has a very long and interesting past.

 

Read it on Wiki. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandar_%C4%90uri%C4%87

 

can't believe it took him 3 attempts to get citizenship

 

what the hell is ICA doing??

[Ktglfc]

Aleksandar Duric's Letter: Thank you very much Singapore

a.espncdn.com.jpg

Aleksandar Duric will retire on Oct. 31 having scored 376 goals and winning 16 domestic club titles at 15 clubs.

"It is hard to put my thoughts into one letter, but I needed to bid a proper farewell to my football family. The Singapore football family.

 

Friday will be one of the saddest days of my life. It is all coming to an end. A beautiful dream that I could never have imagined growing up as a boy from a small town in Doboj, Yugoslavia.

 

The moment the final whistle goes, I know the memories will start flooding into my mind, the hundreds of matches I played, the different goals I scored and the heartbreaking moments when my team lost.

ALEKSANDAR DURIC PROFILE

Born: Aug. 12, 1970

Position: Striker

Total domestic club football games played: 519

Total domestic club football goals: 376

International caps: 53

International goals: 24

 

I still remember when I first set foot in Singapore in 1999, I reported for training with Tanjong Pagar United FC at Queenstown Stadium and I asked one of my new teammates, "OK, so this is the training ground, so where is the stadium we play at?"

 

He stared at me blankly for a minute and we both couldn't stop laughing at my silly question that I am still embarrassed about today. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that, 16 years later at the young age of 44, I will end my career in the very same league with 321 goals, 16 domestic titles and eight individual awards.

 

While my club career was important to me, my proudest and biggest moment was when I received my Singapore citizenship in October 2007 and was called up by Coach Raddy [Radojko Avramovic] for the national team at the age of 37. I scored both goals in my first game against Tajikistan in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier on my debut. It still sends shivers down my spine when I talk about it now.

 

That will be etched in my mind as the proudest moment of my life, apart from the birth of my kids Isabella Nina, Alessandro Hugo and seeing my adopted son Massimo Luca Monty growing up each day.

 

Duric with his three kids Bella, Alessandro and Massimo when he won the S.League title back in 2013 .

 

I have enjoyed every single moment of this career and I cannot tell you how much emotions I have gone through. The sadness of losing league titles, to the joy of lifting my first ASEAN trophy with the Lions in 2012.

 

Having played for 15 different club sides, my 24 goals in 53 appearances for the national team will be my biggest take away from the game. I sweat blood and tears for Singapore, and I would give everything to do it all over again.

 

All I want now is for somebody to remember me as a decent player, who was humble both on and off the pitch, who tried my very best and gave everything to the clubs I played for and the pride I had wearing the Singapore jersey.

 

For the rest of my life, I will live another dream. The dream of giving back to the country that has given me so much. That is why I decided to adopt Massimo and I will now focus on helping Southeast Asian kids fulfill their dreams of playing professional football, scoring goals like I did and have a better life.

 

Please forgive me if I cannot hold back my tears on Friday night, but the emotions I am going to experience will be something I cannot describe.

 

It is hard to sum it all up in one sentence but I thank each and every one of the coaches, players and fans who have treated me like one of their own. For making my life so beautiful and rich in memories.

 

Now it is time for me to take my seat in the stands and cheer Singapore on and I am excited to finally have the chance to chant with the fans and do the Kallang wave as a die-hard supporter.

 

So with this, I sign off my football playing career and I ask of you to remember me, the tall old striker who loves Singapore, my home.

 

Thank you S.League, thank you Singapore and thank you my fellow Singaporeans. From a decent striker, a loving father and most importantly, a son of the Lion City."

 

Aleksandar Duric

Duric was speaking to ESPN FC's Kelvin Leong

 

 

He is one FT that I have utmost respect !

He has given his best when playing for Singapore and also mentoring our local players.

In addition, he has helped our community by giving back and helping the ST Pocket Money...

 

He will be remembered :)

[Ryanyusoff]

 

can't believe it took him 3 attempts to get citizenship

 

what the hell is ICA doing??

 

coz his passport is not PRC.

[Lala81]

Classy stuff...

compared to those AT PP players, he is legend

 

what's AT PP?

 

The likes of agu casmir.

[Sabian]

Thank you Duric for falling in love with Singapore and playing football for Singapore like you mean it!

 

what's AT PP?

 

The likes of agu casmir.

 

Let me hazard a guess: Ah Tiong Ping Pong?