Name:
Noh Alam ShahD.o.B: 3 September 1980
Position: Striker
Previous clubs: Woodlands Wellington, Sembawang Rangers, SAFFC (Singapore Armed Forces Football Club), Tampines Rovers (current).
Story so far: His footballing education began as a trainee at Woodlands Wellington before transferring as a teenager to Sembawang Rangers, the side where Shah was eased into the game and the Singaporean league.
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Still considered an army 'reservist', Shah currently plays his football back home with Tampines Rovers - currently the S-League champions, as well as standing top of the league for the current season.
Profile: With chic finesse, raw power and boyish good looks to boot, anyone would have thought such poetry was coined especially for Richard Brown, himself.
As NCM’s Singaporean correspondent continues, however, it soon becomes clear that – with the words "deadly eye for goal, bullish disposition and a half-decent footballer" – it is not Brown in question here, but Notts County’s much-famed Singaporean trialist, Noh Alam Shah.
Flown into Manchester airport a week ago, Shah was whisked away to a top-secret location for his first taste of English football; a 0-0 stalemate in behind closed doors action against Rotherham United.
How he managed not to get on the next flight out of the country, we shall never know; but, since checking in for a two week trial, the Singaporean international has become the root of frantic interest from many Notts fans – let alone for the press back home.
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Displaying some neat touches, novel flicks and startling pace – albeit against lesser opposition – Shah’s class was obvious. However, after three years with Tampines, it seems as though he has finally outgrown the S-League.
Shah, as stated in his few interviews since his arrival, is ready to better himself in the English game.
When a step towards Shah’s ‘dream move’ – hatched by Singapore national coach and former Notts ‘keeper, Raddy Avramovic – was struck to bring the striker to the ‘Lane, the club had captured a young man, albeit temporarily, with glaring recommendations from Avramovic and an excellent pedigree.
With his parent club, Tampines Rovers currently four points clear at the top of the S-League and through to the quarter-finals of Asia’s AFC Cup (Asia’s equivalent to the UEFA cup), Shah currently lies at the top of the S-League goal-scoring charts, having netted an impressive 15 goals in 16 games for the Stags.
The new season – now seventeen (of twenty-seven) games old back in Singapore – has proved to be a fruitful one for Shah, as, thanks to much endeavour from his coaches and chairman, his brutish attitude has been curbed in favour of a far more workmanlike approach.
Fingers to the opposition fans, kicking tables through and petulant retaliations are mere figments of Shah’s colourful past, as his strength and passion is now channelled to a more productive end result.
And Shah’s strength of mind to change his futile outbursts have repaid themselves adequately. International appearances a plenty, a mounting reputation back home and now trials in England, all the pieces appear to be falling into place for a very bright future, indeed.
Notts strikers beware: Shah’s about.
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For an exclusive interview with Tampines chairman, Teo Hock Seng (right), click here.
For a link to Noh Alam "Along" Shah's blog site, click here.