Gavin Lee (football coach)

Last updated
Gavin Lee
Personal information
Full name Gavin Joshua Lee Tse Peng
Date of birth (1990-09-08) 8 September 1990 (age 34)
Place of birth Singapore
Team information
Current team
 Tampines Rovers (Head coach)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2012–2014 SCC 0 (0)
Managerial career
2014–2015 Warriors (assistant)
2017–2018 Tampines Rovers (assistant)
2019– Tampines Rovers
2024– Singapore (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gavin Lee (born in Singapore) is a Singaporean professional football coach who is the current head coach of Singapore Premier League club Tampines Rovers and the assistant coach of the Singapore national team. [1]

Contents

Gavin holds a AFC ‘A’ Coaching License.

Early life

Gavin joined the JSSL Singapore when he was 18 as a "cone guy" before becoming the general manager in 2016. [2] Gavin is also the youngest ever head coach in the history of the Singapore Premier League. Typically, football coaches in Singapore usually embark on their coaching career only in their late thirties, after ending their playing careers. As a young football coach, Gavin admitted that a consequence of his daily routines is that he “does not have as many friends as others”.

Since he was 17, Gavin has been a football coach. He worked his way up from the grassroots, coaching children as young as five at JSSL.

As a teenager, Gavin was skillful enough as a footballer to make it into the now-defunct National Football Academy. But after seeing the talent of his batch mates, such as Gabriel Quak, Hariss Harun and Izwan Mahbud, Gavin knew he would not be able to keep up. “It was also at that point that I realised I couldn't cope academically, so I decided to choose a different path,” Gavin shared. He turned to coaching because his father had been a coach since he was young. Apart from doing his coaching badges from the basic grassroots courses to the introductory courses and the more elite AFC (Asian Football Confederation) ‘A’ diploma licence, Gavin also had to get his degree.

Playing career

When Gavin was much younger, Gavin would often walk from his block at Tampines Central, pass through Tampines interchange, and make his way to Tampines Stadium for football training. He played for the Tampines under-8s, as well as the under-10s, teams that his father coached at the time.

He also played for the national under-14 team. [2]

Coaching career

Warriors

In 2014, Gavin joined Warriors as their match analyst in their title winning season in 2014 where he got promoted to the assistant coach under Alex Weaver in 2015. Gavin left Warriors in October 2015. [2]

Tampines Rovers

In December 2017, Gavin joined Tampines Rovers as an assistant coach under head coach Kadir Yahaya. [2] In 2019, he became Tampines Rovers head coach despite lacking the required Asian Football Confederation 'A' License to become the head coach. [3] [2] Lee was appointed as head coach based on his past performance as Warriors's assistant coach and impressed Tampines Rovers' staff and players with his knowledge. [2]

Gavin would then led the club to second place back to back placing in the Singapore Premier League and won the 2019 Singapore Cup in his first season in charge. [1]

During the 2021 season, he led the team to their first ever AFC Champions League debut in Tashkent, Uzbekistan which they are drawn in Group H with 2020 K League 1 champions and 2020 Korean FA Cup winners, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, 2020 J1 League runners-up, Gamba Osaka and Thailand Chiangrai United.

On 16 June 2021, Gavin has extended his contract until 2024.

Tampines Rovers also qualified for the AFC Champions League Two as the 2nd best placed local team in the previous season. On 18 July 2024, Tampines Rovers maintain their seven unbeaten streak (6 wins, 1 draw) where the club defeated league rivals Lion City Sailors 5–0 at the Bishan Stadium to stay on top of the league table. Tampines Rovers then participated in the inaugural 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two group stage alongside Thailand club Bangkok United, Vietnamese club Nam Định and Hong Kong club Lee Man. On 18 September 2024, the club then played their first match against Bangkok United at the Thammasat Stadium where Seia Kunori scored a brace for the club but it wasnt enough as the Stags lost 4–2 to the host. During the second round of the AFC Champions League Two match against Lee Man at home soil on 2 October, after conceding an early goal from the visitors, Boris Kopitović equalised the match at 1–1 right before half time from the penalty spot. In the second half, Faris Ramli and Seia Kunori both scored a goal to secured a 3–1 win against Lee Man. On 27 November, Seia Kunori scored the only goal in the match to end Bangkok United winning streak in the group stage at home. On the final day fixtures against Lee Man at the Mong Kok Stadium desperately needing a win, Tampines Rovers felled to a goalless draw. Tampines Rovers finished the 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two campaign with a respectable 8 points in the group stage.

Singapore

On 7 March 2024, Gavin was invited to be part of the backroom staff of the Singapore national team by the newly appointed Japanese head coach Tsutomu Ogura for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match against China. [4] On 11 June 2024, Gavin was appointed in charge of the national team against Thailand after Ogura tested positive for COVID-19.

Education

Lee was a former student of Victoria School and Victoria Junior College. [5] He later studied in Nanyang Technological University and had a degree in Sports Science and Management. [2]

When Gavin Lee was in university, he was often labelled as an “old man”. That was because instead of heading to suppers and parties with his peers, Gavin regularly turned down invitations because he needed to rest and wake up early for work the following day. He was working as a coach at private football academy JSSL then.

In June 2011, Gavin was issued a AFC 'C' Coaching License at the age of 21. He then went on to get the AFC 'B' Coaching License in July 2015 before finally getting to the highest achieving license, AFC 'A' Coaching License in January 2020.

Honours

As manager

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singapore Premier League</span> Professional association football league in Singapore

The Singapore Premier League, commonly abbreviated as SPL,, is a men's professional football league sanctioned by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), which represents the sport's highest level in the Singapore football league system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lion City Sailors FC</span> Association football club in Singapore

Lion City Sailors Football Club, commonly referred to as Lion City Sailors or LCS, is a Singaporean professional football club based in Bishan. It competes in the Singapore Premier League, the top tier of the Singapore football league system. Founded in 1945 as the Police Sports Association, the club renamed itself to Police FC in the inaugural 1996 S.League season before rebranding once more as Home United in 1997. In 2020, it became first club in Singapore to be privatised when it adopted its current name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tampines Rovers FC</span> Singaporean football club

Tampines Rovers Football Club, is a professional football club based in Tampines, Singapore, that competes in the Singapore Premier League, the top tier of the Singapore football league system. Founded in 1945, the club has won 5 league titles, 4 Singapore Cups, a record 5 Community Shields and 1 ASEAN Club Championship.

Mohd Noh Alam Shah, known as Noh Alam Shah, is a Singaporean football coach and former professional football player. who is the head coach of Singapore Premier League club Tanjong Pagar United. Once regarded as one of the best forwards in South East Asia, Alam Shah was a member of the Singapore national football team when it won the AFF Championship in 2005 and 2007. At club level, he was a player of the Tampines Rovers team which won Singapore's S.League in 2004 and 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hougang United FC</span> Singaporean football club

Hougang United Football Club is a professional football club based in Hougang, Singapore. The club competes in the Singapore Premier League, the top tier of Singaporean football. Founded in 1998 as Marine Castle United, the club changed its name to Hougang United in 2011. Nicknamed the Cheetahs, Hougang United has played its home games at Hougang Stadium since its formation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BG Pathum United F.C.</span> Association football club

BG Pathum United Football Club is a Thai professional football club based in Pathum Thani province and is managed by BG Sports Company Limited which is a subsidiary of Bangkok Glass Public Company Limited. BG Pathum United participates in the Thai League 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher van Huizen</span> Singaporean footballer

Christopher James van Huizen is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a full-back for Singapore Premier League club Lion City Sailors and the Singapore national team.

Muhammad Syazwan bin Buhari , better known as Syazwan Buhari or just Syazwan, is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Singapore Premier League club Tampines Rovers, whom he captains and the Singapore national team.

Mohamad Akbar Bin Abdul Nawas, also known as Akbar Nawas, is a Singaporean football coach. He was recently the head coach of Nakhon Pathom United in Thai League 1. Nawas has an advanced diploma in business administration from University of Wales and has finished his degree in business administration and marketing from the same University. Nawas mostly prefers to use the 4-1-3-2 formation throughout his entire time as a coach.

The 2018 season is Home United's 23rd consecutive season in the top flight of Singapore football and in the S.League. Along with the S.League, the club will also compete in the Prime League, the Singapore Cup, Singapore League Cup.

JSSL Singapore (or Junior Soccer School and League Singapore) is a privately owned youth soccer academy based in Singapore which runs regular league tournaments and also provides professional coaching for competitive pathway development. As of 2018, JSSL Singapore managed 12 youth leagues with 36 divisions, 350 teams, and over 3,000 youth players. The academy was founded in 2002, and as of 2024 is based at "The Arena" in Woodleigh Park, Singapore after being forced to relocate from the Home United Youth Football Academy grounds by the Singapore Land Authority following complaints from residents of very high noise levels.

The 2020 Singapore Premier League was the 3rd season of the Singapore Premier League, the top-flight Singaporean professional league for association football clubs, since its rebranding in 2018. The champions of the 2020 Singapore Premier League qualified for the AFC Champions League group stage automatically.

The 2021 season is Tampines Rovers's 26th season at the top level of Singapore football and 76th year in existence as a football club. The club will also compete in the Singapore League Cup, the Singapore Cup, and the AFC Champions League. The season covers from 13 March 2021 to 11 September 2021.

The 2021 Singapore Premier League was the 4th season of the Singapore Premier League, the top-flight Singaporean professional league for association football clubs, since its rebranding in 2018.

The 2022 Singapore Premier League was the 5th season of the Singapore Premier League, the top-flight Singaporean professional league for association football clubs, since its rebranding in 2018. The champions of the 2022 Singapore Premier League should have qualified for the AFC Champions League. The season began in March and ended on 15 October.

The 2022 season is Tampines Rovers's 27th season at the top level of Singapore football and 77th year in existence as a football club. The club will also compete in the Singapore League Cup, the Singapore Cup, and the AFC Cup.

The 2023 season was Tampines Rovers' 28th season at the top level of Singapore football and their 78th year in existence as a football club. The club also competed in the Singapore League Cup, the Singapore Cup, and the AFC Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seia Kunori</span> Japanese footballer (born 2001)

Seia Kunori, also known in Singapore as just Seia, is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a striker or attacking midfielder for Singapore Premier League club Tampines Rovers.

The 2024–25 season will be Tampines Rovers' 29th consecutive season at the top level of Singapore football and their 79th year in existence as a football club. It will be the club first season to be renamed by adding the word 'BG' in front of the club name. The club also qualified for the AFC Champions League Two as the 2nd best placed local team in the previous season. This will be their first season after they inked a three-year collaboration in 2023 with Thailand's BG Pathum United, a partnership that will continue until the end of the 2025–26 season.

The 2024–25 Singapore Premier League is the 7th season of the Singapore Premier League, the top-flight Singaporean professional league for association football clubs, since its rebranding in 2018.

References

  1. 1 2 "Tampines Rovers has kept faith in head coach Gavin Lee" . Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Former NTU student breaks barriers in local football league". Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  3. ↑ "Tampines first-team coach Lee earns respect despite being younger than some players". Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  4. ↑ "Tsutomu Ogura strengthens backroom staff with key coach appointments" . Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  5. ↑ "Meet Gavin Lee, Singapore's Brightest Coaching Prospect – Part 1: The Journey to Topflight Football".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.