Ryhan Stewart bent on proving his worth after joining Riteriai in Lithuania top division

SINGAPORE – Albirex Niigata’s Ryhan Stewart will bring his dazzling darts down the flank to foreign shores after realising his dream to play in Europe.

The Singapore international, who plays as a right-back or winger, signed a two-season contract with Lithuanian top-tier side FK Riteriai on March 15.

Before flying off on March 26 to Lithuanian capital Vilnius, where his new team are based, he told The Straits Times: “The first goal is to cement my place in the starting XI.

“I want to play as much as I can and put in good performances to help the team finish as high as possible. Hopefully, we can also qualify for European club competition.”

Stewart conceded that, while he does not know much about Lithuanian football, he hopes it can be a launch pad for greater things.

The 25-year-old said: “I know where Lithuania is, bordering the Baltic Sea, and the sporting director also shared with me more about Riteriai, and he felt that my style fits the club.

“European football is the peak of football at the moment, and it’s probably where the best football is played. So, why not try and get into that?

“Hopefully, once I’m in the system here, it’s easier to move around and play in the continent. I want to show that I can play well there and hopefully, this opens a way for more Singaporeans to play in Europe.”

His move was facilitated by former Singapore international R. Sasikumar, whose sports marketing and player development agency, Red Card Global, is in the midst of finalising an agreement to acquire Riteriai.

Stewart will follow in the footsteps of other Singaporeans who had recent experiences of playing in Europe, such as Khairin Nadim and Nur Muhammad Asis (currently with Portuguese clubs),brothers Ilhan and Ikhsan Fandi