Name: Maurice Tan
Favourite Position: supporting striker, attacking midfielder
Jersey Number: 13 or 25
Born (mm/dd/yyyy): 05/20/1979
Birthplace: singapore
Age: 28 coming to 29
Weight: 68 kg
Height: 1.71 m
Games Played: 25
Goals Scored: 26
Player Profile: After being heralded as the signing which could help make Marine Parade FC into title contenders, the Mariners instead found themselves with a player bereft of form and fitness. But after almost two-and-a-half years of mediocrity (after that fateful ligament injury), Maurice finally began to display some of the skill which had made him such a star for Katong United.
The Cage international began to win over the east siders faithful who had begun to lose patience with his below-par performances.
Maurice joined Katong United in the summer of 1991 after being signed from the Tan Nan Primary School. Less than two years late he made his career debut for Tanjong Katong Seconday School in a 1-0 home defeat to Bedok Rangers.
The left-sided midfield player had to wait until the 1993/94 season to become a regular in the first team squad after an injury to Hashim Haron created an opening.
Maurice's performances during 1995/96 brought a drooling collection of admirers, who drooled even further in 1997/1998 with Temasek Polytechnic. Once rated by his former club chairman, Samuel Lim, as being worth $50million rupees, the 1999/2000 campaign saw Maurice Tan pick up the S'pore PFA Young Footballer of the Year Award and the Katong United Player of the Year.
His pace and trickery, confidence and eye for goal made him into a player who can play at either left-wing or up front.
Given all of that, Police United fans were celebrating when Maurice signed a new contract in July 1999 with Police United.
However, Maurice had to undergo an metatsal operation on his left foot and missed much of the early part of the 2002/03 season and was sorely missed by player manager Alvin Chen. He would be out of action until December and it wasn't until February that he started to find some of his form again, reaching the semi-finals of the S'pore Champions League.
As Police United cash worries deepened, the club had no choice but to sell Maurice in March 2005 with the player having only months into going out of contract. He agreed to join the club he supported as a boy, Marine Parade FC, in an undisclosed deal in April 2005.
Maurice, who was handed the infamous number 13 shirt, turned down better financial packages in order to sign for Marine Parade FC- but he was injured on his debut in a pre-season friendly against Wednesday Oldies FC on 19th May 2005, in which his right knee ligament which torn severly.
He went for intense physiotherapy & rehabilition programmes, but struggled to find his form in the early games. But he endeared himself to the fans by netting in the derby win against Wednesday Oldies FC in his final game before going for his ligament replacement surgey in 6th March 2006.
Maurice looked a shadow of his former self in 2006/07. A lack of form of any note and a series of niggling injuries restricted him to just 13 Cage Premiership starts. Although he was surprisingly selected to start the Cage Champions League final he was substituted after just 23 minutes with an injury - though his performance was simply inept.
The 2007/08 season was seen as a make-or-break season for Maurice. And after going for intense rehab throught a series of hot yoga rehab, he began to find his feet again in the CagePremiership.
Plus, he was able to celebrate revenge over Barclay Bankers Gunners in reaching the Cup World Cup as Marine Parade FC this time won the play-off on penalties.
Maurice still has a long way to go that he can prove he can rediscover the glories of old, and to shed accusations that he is only fit for the big occasion, such as the 2006 Cage World Cup and the 2006/07 Cage Champions League final after spending the season on the sidelines.
He made his 100th appearance for the club in 2007/08.
Fave hobbies: movies, buying & selling on ebay & yahoo auctions, soccer & footballl (what's e difference:P), YOGA, holidaying abroad, wine (red or white for you?)
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1. What do you do to keep fit? - I play with the Cage soccer team once a week for about two hours & as well as at the basketball court and another form of exercise is yoga!!!
2. What’s your secret to looking so fabulous? do more yoga!
3. Is there a time when you aren’t fit and fab? yes...a time before soccer...:P
4. What’s your diet like? 4 to 5 meals a day. high in vege & low in carbo & meat!!
5. Do you count your calories and why? yup! watching my waist!!!
6. Do you take supplements? used too....
7. What’s your sleep routine like? heavy sleeper, so just lie on bed and next day comes!:PPP
8. What do you do to relax? travelling, movies, tv, reading, soccer & yoga!!
9. What are the three most important things in your life? soccer, $$ & career...at this pt in time
10. Would you go for plastic surgery? nope......not yet...:P
11. What is sport you’ve always wanted to take up but haven’t managed to? not really....maybe beach soccer? haha
12. Do you think you’re sexy? shh...dun tell u la...
13. What is your exercise regimen? yoga almost everyday with soccer twice a week!:)
We strongly do not encourage any internally exchanged player among the other group (unless with the committee approval); any violation of house rule shall be removed from this event.
