By HTUN KHAING | FRONTIER
YANGON — A former winger for English Football League Championship club Sheffield United is preparing to sign on for the next Myanmar National League season, with plans to debut for Yangon United in 2018.
Kler Heh, 21, who was born in a Thai refugee camp to Karen parents, has garnered a celebrity status among Myanmar football fans since debuting for Sheffield United three years ago.
“Kler Heh and Yangon have agreed on personal terms, such as salary, signing fee, and image rights. They just need to sign final agreement” Ye Naing Win, the footballer’s agent, told a Sunday press conference in the commercial capital.
The footballer and Yangon United, the most successful club in the domestic league, have been in negotiations since the beginning of the year. Ye Naing Win said that Kler Heh’s profile would help bolster the MNL, which has suffered from declining interest and the withdrawal of four clubs over the 2017 season.
Support more independent journalism like this. Sign up to be a Frontier member.
“Recently, the Myanmar National League has not been popular in the country,” he said. “When this kind of player transfers, many fans will come to the stadium.”
Kler Heh told journalists from London on Sunday that he also hoped to play on either the Thai or Myanmar national side in the years to come.
“Everything will be different but there’s no problem. I’m confident in my own abilities,” he said.
According to FIFA rules, Kler Heh is eligible to represent either country. But according to Myanmar’s immigration laws, he would not be able to play for Myanmar’s national team without renouncing his British passport.