Daniel Wong, the footballer who left the national team, is still very much hooked on the sport to this day, and is now taking his sporting fervor forth in the form of education.

The Junior FAM which he founded provides a fitting platform for children and teenagers to indulge in this sport.

To him, becoming a professional footballer is not the mere objective of football education, but to ingrain in the trainees an enthusiasm for this sport and how this could be fused into their future professions.

Sunday morning, a private car made its way into a national primary school in Cheras. On the school field were erected Junior FAM (Junior Football Academy Malaysia) banners, with dozens of children dressed in yellow uniforms gathering for a twice weekly training session.

The school field has been leased to Junior FAM as a training ground where its founder Daniel Wong and the boys are pursuing their soccer dreams.

Wong traveled to many places around the world while he was with the national team, allowing him to mingle with other international players.

“I came to see the many inadequacies in Malaysia’s football education, and this denied us invaluable international exposure.”

A year later, Wong quit the national team and had never since been engaged in a football-related job — even though his passion for the sport remained as fiery as ever — until he came to know some representatives from the Russian junior football academy by chance one day.

All of a sudden, the desire in him was reignited, and he was determined to bring this Junior FAM model into this country so that more young Malaysians get to learn to play football.

The rain-soaked field did not dampen the learners’ ardor to practice their skills. They lined up neatly in a single file to practice dribble and shoot one by one, as their fellow learners cheered on.

Meanwhile, another group of young learners formed a circle for a passing drill.

Wong and other coaches were seen standing by one side, passing remarks to rectify the learners’ mistakes now and then.

“Don’t use your toes to pass the ball. Try to use your soles to control instead,” he yelled, highlighting one of the most common mistakes committed by beginners.

In addition to the most fundamental passing, ball control and dribble training, Wong would also teach the kids football-related theories and knowledge.

“Like in a basketball game, there are also centerfield and forward positions in football

“Any child or teenager from six to 16 can register with us, and the intensity of training will be adjusted based on an individual’s age,” he explained.

Unlike other football academies, Junior FAM does not overly stress winning a game or position it as a strictly competitive sport, thus missing its educational significance.

Wong said the learners would become more disciplined and punctual through customarily adhering to the rules and regulations, and the training provided will enhance their resolution through repetitive learning from their mistakes and failures.

He admitted that chances for young footballers to get into established international clubs were extremely slim to the tune of just about 0.001%.

As such, he always tells his students even though they do not eventually get to become professional players in future, they can still become coaches or take up a marketing positions in this field, or even other forms of managerial positions as a means of extending their enthusiasm in this sport.

The Junior FAM founded by Wong has stolen the attention of international football clubs with his exceptional acumen in planning the academy’s activities, and in providing excellent opportunities for young children who aspire to become world-class footballers in future.

Wong’s students hail from very diverse cultural backgrounds. Unlike other football academies in the country, the language of instruction at Junior FAM is English.

Wong takes pride in arranging for an Indian boy to practise with football legend Thierry Henry.

“In conjunction with the FIFA World Cup, local social media sensation Namewee approached me. He not only wanted me to be the technical director of his MV, but also wanted me to recommend a Chinese trainee to appear in his MV, although in the end I found him an eight-year-old Indian boy, Mitrran.

“I told Namewee we are color-blind here. It’s individual player’s ability that matters.”

Wong said Mitrran and his family took this opportunity to relocate to the UK in order to be nearer to famous football clubs.

“I’m sure when Mitrran turns 16, people will start approaching him to sign a contract.”

Junior FAM is one of the very few football academies in the country to have been endorsed by the Ministry of Education and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).

Most football academies in the country only focus on winning tournaments but hardly what to do after that.

“If we win a game, I will think of how to spend the money so that the students can gain access to better resources.”

Even as football matches were discontinued during the past two years as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Wong was reluctant to slow down his pace.

Among his achievements was to seal a cooperation agreement with LaLiga of Spain, a first in Southeast Asia. This has made Wong and his Junior FAM the talk of the town in the region’s football circle.

Looking back at the past, Wong said smilingly, “We have been persistently working very hard, but we also need a dose of luck at times!”

When LaLiga was here in Malaysia for a tour, Wong seized the opportunity to meet up with the team and shared with them Junior FAM’s educational philosophy which very soon won the Spanish recognition.

“LaLiga’s events had to be stalled due to the pandemic, but they were also looking out for new opportunities of cooperation!”

Thanks to Wong’s effort, LaLiga Youth Tournament’s Southeast Asian leg was kicked off this July in Penang, with participation from around 50 junior football teams from countries like Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines.

The tournament provided an ideal platform for young Malaysian footballers to interact with football talents from other countries. And Wong claimed the event helped the country rake in RM1.6 million of tourist revenue!

Additionally, LaLiga also paid the Junior FAM a visit this year, and during their visit, a trainee was handpicked to be sent to Spain for a skill audition.

“The student is expected to set off for Spain next June. We will cover all the expenses.”

Wong also said Junior FAM plans to seal an agreement with Bangkok’s largest football club under which some 20 outstanding trainees will get to interact with other talented young footballers overseas.

The journey for Junior FAM has not been smooth over the past five years since its inception.

Wong admitted that the government’s response had not been very encouraging, as many requests for allocations to purchase training equipment and refurbishment of training ground were left unanswered.

He also admitted that the country’s junior footballers had yet to reach international standards. As such, in order to draw the attention of more international clubs, Wong and his team have been raising funds externally in hope of building its own campus over the next five years so that children keen on this sport could live in and receive regular training.

“It’s similar to the university degree concept whereby trainees completing their education here can be awarded international certification.”

He admitted that it’s not easy to get a good coach.

“It’s not easy to coach the children. They might not take your instructions seriously or might not understand them. So, the coach will have to be very patient and they really need to have a strong passion for this sport.

“I loved to play football since I was young, even dreaming about it in my sleep!”

So when he finally secured a chance to go back to the field to coach the children, Wong unhesitantly gave it a go.

“I’m already 40, but deep inside me I am still very much a kid, and love to mingle with the kids.

“And my fervor for football is so strong that I have made it my life career,” he concluded.