The job of picking the Ultimate S.League Dream Team is one tough – if immensely enjoyable – task for our panel.

We knew it was never going to be easy. How do you decide between for instance Geylang and Singapore legend David Lee and current Lions number one Lionel Lewis?

Similarly, who’s to say that Aleksandar Duric is better than Jure Eres? Are there places for 80s and 90s Singapore favourites Fandi Ahmad and V Sundram Moorthy? The choices seemed endless for just 11 spots and a further seven on the bench.

The S.League has just concluded its 12th season but in these 12 years, the game has evolved and moved on in terms of pace, power and technique.

Iranian stopper Mohd Khakpour was probably the first name the entire panel brought up. Even though he played only one S.League season for 1996 champions Geylang United, the impact he made ensured his place in this team. His leadership qualities were top class and he made a huge impression on all fans who watched the first season of the league.

It was also important that this team is able to entertain. And what better way to entertain than attacking football which was why we opted for an adventurous 3-4-1-2 formation.

Talking about entertaining, it is difficult to ignore the contributions of Sembawang Rangers legend Tawan Sripan. The Thai maverick spent five years at Yishun and was the model of consistency and loyalty for the modest northern club. Comfortable playing anywhere in midfield or just behind the forwards, Tawan was a firm favourite with the Sembawang faithful and has to be included in this team, albeit in right midfield.

So what does it take to make the final cut? Consistency at a high level is an important element alongside the impact they made on the team and the league during their stint in Singapore. Longevity also helps but more importantly, the player must be a role model not only to fans but also to his peers in the game.

In addition, some success along the way also helps to bolster a player’s claim. That’s why Rezal Hassan pips David Lee, Dragan Talajic, Yazid Yasin and Lionel Lewis to the goalkeeper slot. All of them won trophies, but Rezal has played for six championship winning teams and also lifted three Singapore Cups. Still only 32, he’s been a virtual ever-present since day one of the S.League – a testament to his high standards and consistency between the sticks.

S Subramani and Daniel Bennett take the other two defensive spots. Lim Tong Hai and Aide Iskandar weren’t far away, as were Sead Muratovic, Niweat Siriwong, Milomir Seslija and Robin Chitrakar. In the end, Mani and Bennett got the votes for their rock-like reliability and outstanding performances over the years for the defences in which they have starred.
 
The midfield slots were the toughest to fill simply for the fact that so many marvellous midfielders have patrolled pitches from Hougang to Choa Chu Kang.

Names such as Hamid Reza Estili, Ivica Raguz, Zsolt Bucs, Mustafic Fahrudin, John Wilkinson, Shi Jiayi, Rafi Ali and Nazri Nasir will probably walk into any team in the league and will not look out of place in this lineup.

However, for the two central midfield slots, Thai duo Therdsak Chaiman and J Surachai are probably two of the finest exponents of their trade to have played in the S.League. It is hard to look beyond these two midfield generals to be the fulcrum of this team.

With Tawan already on the right, it could have been an all-Thailand midfield with Sutee Suksomkit in the reckoning for the left midfield slot. In the end, we could not ignore the contributions of Velimir Crljen in the all-conquering SAFFC side of the 90s.

In attack, we all could make a strong argument to include the likes of Jure Eres, Paulic Goran and Stuart Young – incidentally all former Golden Boot winners - as well as Indra Sahdan, Noh Alam Shah, Bogdan Brasoveanu and Agu Casmir.

But the eye keeps coming back to a few names. Peres De Oliveira revels in the role behind the forwards and is no slouch in the goal-scoring stakes himself. For craft, invention and flair, there is no need to look further than this Brazilian.

And up front, who better to finish off all the ammunition laid on for them than the two highest scorers in S.League history – Mirko Grabovac and Egmar Goncalves? Egmar was a one-club man – spending 11 years at Bishan, chalking up an impressive 238 goals in all domestic competition.

Grabovac is probably in a class of his own. Five-time S.League top scorer and a goal tally that reads: nine seasons, 242 goals and counting.

This line-up is certainly not bad, we think you’ll agree. There is good balance throughout the side – commanding at the back, inventive going forward and lethal in attack.

In fact, we reckon this team is probably good enough to win the Asian Champions League.

The S.League Dream Team was selected by a panel of four who between them have watched every season of the S.League and chalked up more than 2,000 games.