'Pressure is a privilege': Interim Singapore head coach Gavin Lee ready to make football history with Lions

SINGAPORE: Growing up, Gavin Lee's dream was to wear the national jersey.

In his teenage years, he trained at the National Football Academy alongside the likes of Hariss Harun and Izwan Mahbud.

Two decades later, the 35-year-old represents his nation, but in a different capacity. While his former teammates command the pitch – Hariss as national skipper and Izwan a veteran shot-stopper – Lee leads from the dugout as interim head coach of the Lions.

"When I was a young boy, I wanted to play for the national team, but I never thought that I wanted to coach the national team," Lee told CNA.

"Like a player, you just want to do your country proud and the chance to represent the country in the international stage is something that makes me very, very proud ... It's something that I never dreamed of, to be honest."

Now, Lee has a shot at making history. 

On Nov 18, Singapore will face Hong Kong at Kai Tak stadium in a winner-takes-all Asian Cup qualifier. If Singapore win, it will be the first time the Lions qualify for the Asian Cup on merit.

Their only appearance at the tournament was in 1984, with an automatic qualification as the host nation. 

"To be in this current position now is exciting, it's a little bit nervy. But this is just a normal response when you're on the edge of something special," said Lee.

"In high performance, pressure is a privilege ... Pressure is just a consequence of our position, and we want to be in this position, so we should enjoy it. We've got quite level-headed players, individuals in the squad, to reframe that thinking and manage all this noise."

A fan of local football from a young age, Lee has felt first-hand the joys of triumph and knows the impact the national team can have. He wants to give fans that