After a historic Asian Cup qualification, Gavin Lee is reportedly set to take on the reins of the Lions on a permanent basis.
According to The Straits Times, Lee is set to put pen to paper for an 18-month contract.
Should Lee take on the role, the 35-year-old will be the first permanent local coach since V. Sundrammoorthy took charge of the national side from 2016 to 2018.
FAS President Forrest Li earlier hinted towards the possibility that Lee would enter the race for head coach after his successes in the team’s qualification campaign.
“Based on what Gavin has achieved, he will be a very strong candidate,” Li said. But he also added that they had other choices in the mix, with reports saying that Spanish tactician Jesus Casas was one of the top names in the shortlist.
This marks the fifth month the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has continued their global search for the replacement of Tsutomu Ogura, who resigned on June 24, citing personal reasons.
Lee joined BG Tampines Rovers in December 2017 as an assistant coach, and at just 28, he made history by becoming the youngest-ever Singapore Premier League coach when he took the head coach role for the 2019 campaign.
He moved into the national setup in March 2024, joining the backroom team under then-Lions coach Ogura, later stepping up as one of his assistants.
After Ogura’s sudden departure, Lee was elevated to interim head coach and left his post at the Stags, having led the team to a Singapore Cup and a Community Shield in those six years.
During his five-month interim tenure, Lee credited his Japanese predecessor for laying a good foundation for him to build on. But he also walked the talk by handing a few talented youngsters their first national call-ups with an eye on the future.
Some of the beneficiaries were Young Lions central midfielder Ong Yu En and 19-year-old FC Vizela player Jonan Tan. Young Lions defender Raoul Suhaimi and Akram Azman also earned recalls to the squad during his time in charge.
On his inclusion of the youngsters, Lee previously said, “These first call-ups are not just about the present, but also about building for the future. It is important to continue inspiring the next generation of players.”
As head coach, Lee’s first task will be to prepare for the 2026 ASEAN Championship, which was earlier announced to take place from July 24 to Aug 26.
Baseline Media has approached FAS for comment.
