Annil Vigneswaran (born 25 August 2003) is a Malaysian professional footballer who plays as a defender for 3. Liga club Waldhof Mannheim II .

Annil Vigneswaran
Personal information
Date of birth (2003-08-25) 25 August 2003 (age 20)
Place of birth Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Centre-back, Defensive Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Wardhof Mannheim ll
Number 24
Youth career
AFC Ajax
2021-2022 SGV Freiberg
2022 Sandhausen
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022–2023 Freiburger II 7 (0)
2023- Wardhof Mannheim ll
International career
2021– Malaysia U23 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career edit

Early life edit

Born in Kajang, Selangor, Vigneswaran first took an interest in football at the age of seven, with his father enrolling him in a Little League side, for players aged 5–16 across the Klang Valley.[1] At the age of ten, he spent three months with Dutch side Ajax, before returning to Malaysia to join the Kuala Lumpur Youth Soccer (KLYS) team.[1]

Move to Germany edit

At the age of fourteen, he was scouted by German side SGV Freiberg, and eventually moved to Germany to join the club.[1] In February 2022, he joined 2. Bundesliga side Sandhausen.[2]

For the 2022–23 season, he joined Oberliga Baden-Württemberg side Freiburger FC, but was assigned to the club's second team in the Landesliga Südbaden 2.[3]

International career edit

In October 2021, he received a surprise call up to the Malaysia national under-23 football team, having not attended any of the training camps in Malaysia.[4][5] This call up was criticised by fans, with then-coach Brad Maloney coming to Vigneswaran's defence, saying "assistant coach, Khan Hung Meng used to train this player before he went to Germany a few years ago and he was seen as a very talented player and since then, his performance has started to be monitored."[6]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Yeun, Lynette (10 July 2021). "Annil's journey from the backwaters of Kajang to the dizzy heights at Ajax, Freiberg". thevibes.com. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Annil Vigneswaran naik pangkat, kini bersama SV Sandhausen di 2.Bundesliga Jerman" [Annil Vigneswaran moved up the ranks, now with SV Sandhausen in the German 2.Bundesliga]. harimaumalaya.com.my (in Malay). 28 February 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Oberliga player squad 2022/23". ffc.de (in German). Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  4. ^ Azharie, Farah (22 October 2021). "Annil out to silence critics". nst.com.my. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  5. ^ Nor, Suryati Mohd (9 March 2022). "Annil korban usia remaja berkelana di Eropah, "You can do it if your mind says yes"" [Anil, a teenage victim, wanders around Europe, "You can do it if your mind says yes"]. cakapsukan.com. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  6. ^ "Dikritik peminat, Vigneswaran tetap jadi taruhan Maloney" [Criticized by fans, Vigneswaran is still Maloney's bet]. majoriti.com.my (in Malay). 22 October 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2023.