TAKE IT FROM TITUS
France-based player’s advice to ‘lonely’ Shahrel
AFTER plying his trade in the French League, home of the world champions, for almost two decades, a mature Titus James Palani can hold his head up high.
The 32-year-old, who currently plays for French Ligue 3 side CS Meaux, admits that it has been anything but easy for him to be so far away from his family and country for such a long time.
James started to make a name for himself when at the age of only 13, he amazingly juggled the ball 5,680 times at a local competition back in 1999.
He has turned out for French clubs Nanteuil SC, FC Villenoy and Normandy in the lower tier of French club football.
Titus is now ready to share his vast experiences with Malaysian players, admitting that he faced all sorts of obstacles throughout his time in France, especially in terms of communication, weather and food.
He said the thought of returning to Malaysia did cross his mind more than once, but out of his love for the game and his determination to realise his ambition of playing in Europe, he stuck to his guns and tried to acclimatise himself to his surroundings.
“It is actually difficult to live for a very long time in another country. There are so many obstacles and challenges that crop up, especially when it comes to communication because here in France the people are proud of the French language and rarely speak English.
“So, I had to toughen up and learn French. I was alone at the time but I was very lucky because I lived with a very good foster family who helped overcome the language barrier as I picked up the French language from them.
“However I did miss my family back home in Malaysia very much. But I toughened up mentally and faced the challenges that came my way. So if one is strong mentally, there should be no problems in succeeding and being able to play abroad just about anywhere,” he said when contacted yesterday.
On fellow Malaysian Shahrel Fikri Md Fauzi who plays for Nakhon Ratchasima in Thailand, Titus advised the young forward to be as strong as he can mentally, emotionally and physically, if he wants to succeed.
“Shahrel could be facing the same situation as me, in terms of having issues communicating and with the food. In Thailand, they speak Thai and perhaps he also feels lonely because of problems communicating. Therefore he needs to toughen up and be brave while trying to learn to speak Thai,” he said.
Earlier Shahrel had said in his Twitter account, saying how lonely he feels living in Thailand.
His posting on Twitter has garnered all sorts of responses from Malaysian football fans, with some commenting that they are worried that he could be homesick and that he should return earlier before his contract expires.
This has happened before to other Malaysian players who went abroad, such as Nazmi Faiz Mansor, Wan Zack Haikal and Nazirul Naim Che Hashim.
So if one is strong mentally, there should be no problems in succeeding and being able to play abroad just about anywhere.
Malaysian footballer