\n<\/p>\n
But his father was just the first of many influences, said the former Nanyang Technological University student.<\/p>\n
One of his mentors was football academy JSSL’s managing director Harvey Davis, who gave Lee “the belief to trust myself”. Warriors FC head coach Alex Weaver, under whom Lee served as assistant, showed him how to be a better coach. At Tampines Rovers, where Lee joined as assistant coach in 2017 before he was promoted to head coach, club chairman Desmond Ong taught him leadership.<\/p>\n
At 28, Lee became the youngest head coach in Singapore Premier League history.<\/p>\n
“I’m probably the luckiest guy in the world because I’ve met so many good people on the way,” said Lee. “Without these figures, I wouldn’t be where I am today. ”\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lee joined the national team in March 2024 as part of then Lions head coach Tsutomu Ogura backroom staff. He eventually became an assistant to the Japanese tactician.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Ogura departed in June, Lee was appointed interim head coach.<\/p>\n
“When your national team come calling, you don’t say no,” he said. “I don’t think a player would turn down a call-up as well. The opportunity to represent the country is a no-brainer.”<\/p>\n
Lee credits Ogura with laying a strong foundation. “It made things very easy for me. He’s formulated a good working group, he’s instilled a style of football that’s not too different from my own. And so it’s just working off it and making sure we do a little bit better.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
But international football presented unique challenges.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“You don’t have a lot of time … Players come and you have two decent trainings before you play a game. What magic can you do?” he said.<\/p>\n
“So we do as much as we can as the coaching team and the support staff, to try to get everybody on the same page. Consistency definitely helps reinforces the messages.”<\/p>\n
Taking the national hot seat, even temporarily, also means dealing with increased scrutiny.<\/p>\n
“I cannot control what people say or think. If I try to satisfy everyone, I will have a lot of internal chaos,” said Lee. “The players, the team, the staff, they need clarity. They need a direction. And that is why it’s about focusing on the voices that matter.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n