PETALING JAYA: Former national defender Serbegeth “Shebby” Singh has passed away. He was 61.
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According to Iskandar Puteri district police chief Dzulkhairi Mukhtar, Shebby was believed to have died from a heart attack while out cycling.
Shebby leaves behind two children, Natassha Kaur and Sonuljit Singh.
In a statement, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) extended its condolences to his family.
After making his international debut in 1982, Shebby was a key member of the national team for nine years, representing Malaysia in the Asian Games in 1982, 1986 and 1990. He also helped Harimau Malaya to a SEA Games gold medal in 1989 and a bronze medal in the 1985 SEA Games.
He donned the Malaysian kit 61 times, playing his final game against England in a friendly at Stadium Merdeka in 1991.
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On the local front, Shebby played for his home state of Johor as well as Kuala Lumpur, where he achieved his greatest success as a player winning every major domestic honour.
Shebby was part of the legendary Kuala Lumpur side of the 1980s, which included Singapore’s Fandi Ahmad. The team lifted the M-League title twice, in 1986 and 1988, besides winning the prestigious Malaysia Cup in 1987, 1988 and 1989, and two FA Cup titles in 1993 and 1994.
He also played for Pahang, Negeri Sembilan and Perak in the 1990s.
In June 2012, Shebby was appointed as a global adviser for Blackburn Rovers, which was then in the second tier, English League Championship.
Over the past 24 years, Shebby has also been a regular football pundit on TV, working with Astro SuperSport, FoxSports and ESPN Asia.-FMT