Tournament top scorer.
Tournament Most Valuable Player.
But talking to Noh Alam Shah after Sunday's second leg of the Asean
Football Championship final, it looked like he was just relieved to
be playing regularly again.
Thank goodness for all of this, he said as another group of Thai
fans were crowding around him for a group photo.
The last time I was here (in Bangkok), I didn't even get to play a
lot in the King's Cup. It was painkillers, painkillers all the way
back then (in December 2006) but this has made it all
worthwhile.
Alam Shah also admitted that the tournament top scorer and
tournament MVP award were not the only reasons why he would
treasure this winners' medal more than the one from 2004.
Last time round I was only a bench player most of the time, he
said. I did play in 2004 but this time I started all the games. So
I think I'd enjoyed this one more than I did the last one.
No thanks to injury, the Tampines Rovers forward had not been a
regular fixture for club and country for most of last season.
Which explains why he would have placed very long odds on himself
scoring 10 goals - including seven against Laos - in the
competition, and being named Tournament MVP.
The boys were talking about it (the tournament MVP title) before
the game but I wasn't thinking too much about it.
It's nice to be recognised and I must thank my teammates and the
coach for putting the team into good shape.
Everyone played very well tonight, the 26-year-old said. It was
hard for me personally with (striker partner) Indra not playing
tonight, which meant I also had to defend a lot. But our game plan
worked.
When someone suggested Alam Shah to go on an extended holiday to
celebrate and rest those weary legs, the man just shrugged it off
and chuckled: I wish I could but I'll be back here (in Bangkok)
three days later for pre-season (with Tampines Rovers)!
