When Bart Ramselaar arrived in sunny Singapore in February last year, expectations for the Dutch playmaker were sky-high.

A former Eredivisie winner with PSV Eindhoven, he was tipped to take the Singapore Premier League (SPL) by storm, and his solid early-season form, which included scoring in the Sailors’ opening league game — a 4-1 win over Hougang United — suggested he would do just that.

But football rarely follows a straight script.

After being substituted with what looked like a minor hamstring problem during the Sailors’ 1-1 draw with Geylang International in June 2024, Bart returned to action against Balestier Khalsa just two weeks later. His comeback started brightly, as he opened the scoring with a beautifully controlled volley, but within a minute the injury flared up again, forcing him off the field.

“That injury came at a bad time,” recalled Bart, who had already racked up four goals and three assists in his first five league games. “I started the season well, scoring almost every game, and winning the Community Shield. It halted my momentum, but these things happen. I just stayed positive and fought even harder to come back.”

Bart’s positivity and determination paid off, as he went on to make a career-high 43 appearances in all competitions, in what was his most prolific campaign yet, finishing with 19 goals and 15 assists.

Indeed, he delivered when it mattered most, and played a pivotal role in the Sailors’ fairytale run to the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) Two final.

But his ACL Two campaign was not without its bumps. In just the Sailors’ second match of the competition, away against Persib Bandung, he was sent off for a dangerous tackle and had to sit out the next two group games.

While it was frustrating for Bart to be sidelined, he now looks back on the red card – the first of his career – with good humour.

“It was strange – I’d never been sent off before – and hopefully never again,” he said with a laugh.

But it was in the knockout rounds that Sailors fans saw Bart at his brilliant best. He tormented Muangthong United in the round of 16, set up Shawal Anuar for a crucial away goal at Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the quarter-finals, and then capped it off with one of the goals of the season against Sydney FC in the semi-finals.

Receiving the ball from Diogo Costa on the left flank, most inside the Jalan Besar Stadium expected Bart to whip in a cross. Instead, he unleashed a curling right-foot rocket into the top corner to send the home crowd into raptures.

“It was early in the game, so I thought, why not try it?” he recounted. “Only after the season ended did I realise how important it was. That goal played a big part in us reaching the final.”

Unsurprisingly, the Sailors’ exploits in the ACL Two caught the eye across the continent, and Bart believes this means many are now expecting them to deliver another strong showing in the competition this year.

“I believe this ACL Two run was one of the club’s biggest achievements,” he explained. “It changed perceptions of Singapore football, not just locally but across Asia. Nobody expected a Singapore team to compete like this, but now, we’re no longer the underdogs.”

Despite boasting an already decorated résumé that includes winning the Eredivisie and making three appearances for the Netherlands national team, Bart still ranks reaching the ACL Two final among the top five moments of his career.

And while he has played in the European Champions League against giants such as Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid, Bart insists that competing in Asia is no less enjoyable.

“The level is different, of course, but still good. In Europe, the pressure is higher – especially when you’re at Camp Nou in front of 100,000 people – but Asia has its own challenges. Different countries, stadiums, pitches, styles… I enjoy that just as much.”

Bart also shone on the domestic front, finishing as top scorer in the Singapore Cup with six goals, including the winner in the final against BG Tampines Rovers.

“Lifting the cup was a great feeling. We’d just lost the ACL Two final, so this was our shot at the treble. To be the match-winner made it extra special,” he said.

After a gruelling season, Bart recharged with family time in the Netherlands and a holiday in Greece, before heading to Thailand for the Sailors’ pre-season.

With high-profile players like Anderson Lopes and Tsiy Ndenge signing for the Sailors in the off-season, Bart believes the 11-day trip was key to building chemistry within the squad.

“We had good training sessions and useful friendly matches to see how we could complement each other. Off the pitch, we bonded a lot, and we even celebrated Diogo’s birthday together at a restaurant.”

Bart believes that unity will be vital for another hectic season ahead, and while the foreign signings may grab the headlines, he is equally keen to highlight the progress of the local core.

“To me, there’s no difference between local and foreign players. They’re all my teammates, and I’ll support them however I can. The local players have improved a lot, especially after the big games we played last year, and I’m excited to see them continue to grow.”

With the Community Shield against BG Tampines on Saturday (16 August) kicking off the Sailors’ season, Bart was clear about the team’s targets for the season.

“We want to win everything domestically again, starting with the Community Shield this week. We also want to go further in the Shopee Cup and ACL Two. Most importantly, we want to play good football.

“Just like last season, I believe this team can make history. If we perform well collectively, everyone will shine. We’re all driven to do it all again.”