In September 2015, Maxime Lestienne was living the dream most footballers his age could only imagine.

At just 23, he was playing in the UEFA Champions League and proving he belonged on the biggest stage, delivering two assists in PSV Eindhoven’s stunning 2-1 win over Manchester United on 15 September, before scoring a clinical brace away at CSKA Moscow a fortnight later.

With three goals and seven assists in just 10 matches across all competitions, it felt as though the world was at Max’s feet.

Then, on 3 October, everything changed.

The PSV squad were travelling by bus to Amsterdam for a league match when Max received an urgent call from his wife, Kiara, asking him to return immediately. As it turned out, his mother had collapsed after a haemorrhagic stroke.

“My wife told me my mum had fallen and that I had to come back immediately. At that time, I wasn’t too worried. But when I reached the hospital, I saw all my family members there and found out she was already brain dead. She passed on the following day,” a visibly emotional Max recounted.

It was a sudden, devastating loss, made more painful by the fact that he never had the chance to say goodbye, and it left a wound that would never fully heal. 

But heartbreak was not done with him yet. 

A few days later, while going through his mother’s phone, he came across a message that delivered another blow.

His father, Fabian, had cancer and had been given only weeks left to live.

“I didn’t know he was sick,” Max said quietly. “He never told me.” He immediately stepped away from football to spend whatever time remained with his father, who eventually passed on 19 November.

Two unimaginable losses, just over six weeks apart.

It was undoubtedly the darkest period of Max’s life and compelled him to relook his priorities and rethink his perspective on what truly mattered.

“Football is something I love, but family is everything to me,” said Max. “I know now that anything can be taken away in a minute. Sometimes we forget that we have to appreciate everything and every moment with the people we love.”

Max stepped away from football for a few months to grieve before returning to training, although deep down he knew he was no longer the same mentally, emotionally, or psychologically.

Injuries soon followed, and what had begun as a bright season slowly tailed off, with him making only a few more appearances as PSV went on to win the title. In July 2016, he moved to Rubin Kazan in Russia as he sought to rediscover his spark in the game.

But throughout his struggles, both on and off the pitch, Max had one constant source of strength he could always rely on: his wife.

“My family made a lot of sacrifices for me… and my wife, she saved me,” he reflected. “After losing both my parents, I really wasn’t myself.”

New beginnings in an unfamiliar place

After spending more than two years with Rubin, Max joined Spanish outfit Málaga on loan, before returning to Belgium to sign for Standard Liège in 2018. Although this period saw him continue competing at the highest level, including playing in matches against Real Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga, football had begun to feel more like duty than passion. 

Matters came to a head at Liège when a disagreement with the club chairman resulted in him being exiled from the first team and forced to train alone for months.

It was during this time that Max, who was part of Belgium’s much-vaunted Golden Generation of players, found himself contemplating walking away from the sport altogether. He received offers from clubs in the Middle East, but none seemed capable of reigniting the spark he had gradually lost.

That was when the Lion City Sailors came calling.

Their offer felt “sincere”, as Max put it, and after years of upheaval, that sincerity carried weight.

“Honestly, we didn’t know anything about Singapore,” he laughed. “But my wife did a lot of research, and from Day One the club made me feel comfortable.”

And so, in February 2022, Max put pen to paper on a two-year deal with the Sailors.

He could never have imagined then that it would mark the start of an unforgettable four-year journey, during which he rediscovered his passion for football, built a deep connection with a club and its supporters, and found a country that unexpectedly became home.

“Magic Max” makes his mark

From his very first season with the Sailors, it was clear that Max brought something special: a spark that lifted the stands whenever he had the ball at his feet. “Magic Max” quickly became a fitting moniker as he chalked up goals, assists, and memorable performances across domestic and continental competitions.

But beyond his impressive numbers, it was the way he played, with flair, intelligence, and bravery, that endeared him to teammates, coaches, and supporters alike.

“When a club gives you everything, you naturally want to give everything back,” he said. “I felt respected here, and that made a huge difference.”

With Max pulling the strings, the Sailors went on to win the Singapore Premier League title, two Singapore Cups, and two Singapore Community Shields, and also embarked on a historic run to the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) Two final last season, where they were narrowly beaten to the trophy by Sharjah FC.

Having played for nine clubs across seven countries, including Belgium, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Russia and Qatar, Max regards his time with the Sailors as one of the finest chapters of his career.

“Honestly, I have to say this is my best time in football,” shared Max, who penned a two-year extension at the end of the 2023 season. “I stayed so long because my family feels good here. If the family is happy, you can be happy on the pitch and show everything for the team.

“When I renewed my contract after two years, I was very happy and I didn’t want to play for any other club, even in Europe. I really wanted to stay and give my best to this club, and that’s what I think I did.”

Max is currently the third-highest appearance maker for the club, behind icons Hariss Harun and Hafiz Nor. With 10,141 minutes played, Singapore — and the Sailors — became the place where he featured the most in his professional journey, and more importantly, where he felt most at ease.

Special connection with the fans

Even from his earliest matches, Max was wholeheartedly embraced by Sailors supporters, whether through chants of “Allez, Maxime!” or the crowds who waited after games for photos and autographs. It quickly became a routine he looked forward to.

“Their support gives us so much energy,” he said. “Especially during our ACL Two run, when you could really feel their voices pushing us on. It helps us raise our level on the pitch.

“We know we can be better because of them, and many times we do it for them. I hope they continue supporting the club for many years, because the club needs them.”

When asked if any supporter stood out, his face brightened immediately.

“Ah Ma! I know she loves me and I love her too,” he said of the beloved 83-year-old Sailors fan who is a familiar face at matches both at home and abroad. “I admire her passion, and I hope she stays healthy and happy.”

A difficult but necessary decision

But all good things must eventually come to an end, and for Max, his voyage with the Sailors has reached its final port.

While he had initially been keen to renew his contract, which expires at the end of the year, and the club was equally open to extending his stay, he ultimately decided against it in order to honour a promise he made to his family to return home and be closer to their loved ones.

“My kids have everything in Singapore. They study in an international school and train three times a week in the Lion City Sailors Football School. They’re happy here, but I know they sometimes feel lonely and miss family,” revealed Max, whose last game for the Sailors will likely be the Singapore Cup semi-final second leg against Balestier Khalsa on 20 December.

“Whenever we return to Belgium for a holiday, I can feel they’re a bit different from how they feel here, so I think they’re very happy to go back.

“It’s difficult, very difficult, to leave a place where I have loved so much. But when I renewed my contract two years ago, I promised my family this would be my last one. My family is the most important to me. They sacrificed a lot for me, so I can’t ask them to stay longer here. I have to respect them, and I’m happy to do something for them.”

Goals, glory, and gratitude

To date, Max has scored 69 goals for the Sailors, but there is no secret which one meant the most.

It came on 18 May 2025, with the Sailors just minutes away from defeat in the ACL Two final against Sharjah, when a loose ball fell invitingly to him. With one crisp swipe of his left foot, he drilled home a dramatic injury-time equaliser that sent the near 10,000-strong crowd at Bishan Stadium into raptures.

Although the Sailors eventually lost 2-1, that goal remains etched in his heart, largely because of the sheer magnitude of the moment and the atmosphere created by the Sailors fans.

“Honestly, this goal still gives me goosebumps whenever I watch it,” said Max, who admitted he has probably replayed it over 30 times on his Instagram page. “Don’t forget, this club existed for only five years, and it is something amazing for us and for Singapore football to reach the final.

“I didn’t play my best game for the club that night, but I always believed I could score or make something happen to change the game. When I scored, it was in the last minute, in front of a full stadium with a great atmosphere. It was a special feeling, and perhaps my one regret here is not being able to win that trophy in the end.”

Max also pinpointed two significant moments in his Sailors career that he will remember for a long time.

The first was opening his Sailors account in April 2022 against Tanjong Pagar United, and the second was lifting his first silverware with the club, the 2023 Singapore Cup.

“My first goal was against Tanjong Pagar United in April 2022. I didn’t score in my first four games for the club and I know people were waiting for me to score. Once I scored, I didn’t stop, but the first one was hard for me,” he recalled.

“And the first trophy, the Singapore Cup in 2023. Maybe it’s not the biggest trophy, but in my first year with the club I won nothing, so this one was important for me.”

He also expressed his gratitude to the key figures who brought him to the Sailors, and his confidence in the club’s ability to achieve even greater success in the years ahead.

“Firstly, I have to thank our chairman, Mr Forrest Li, and our former sporting director, Badri Ghent, because they gave me the opportunity to play for this club,” said Max. “They gave me respect and trust during a difficult time for me, and I wouldn’t be here today if not for them.

“It’s clear that the club is ambitious, and you can see that with the Training Centre and the development of the Academy. The club also makes sure there are people who take care of everything for us. From the coaches to the physios, to the staff who clean, the logistics officer, the people who take care of the pitches… you don’t see them a lot, but they are all equally important to the club.

“We are here because a lot of people give their best and put their hearts into making everything comfortable for us. So we always try our best on the pitch to give back to them.”

While he knows he will miss his life in Singapore with the Sailors, Max has no doubts that he made the right decision in returning home.

“I know I will miss everyone here. I have made so many friends,” said Max. “I will miss the craziness in the locker room with my teammates, and also my physios who always take care of me. Singapore is a 13-hour flight from Belgium, so I know there are people I may never see again.

“But I am happy with my decision, and I want my family to be happy too.”

Looking ahead to the future

After leaving the Sailors, Max will return to Moorslede, a quiet town near Lille in France where he and Kiara bought a home seven years ago. The slower pace of life appeals to him, and he is looking forward to its simple pleasures.

And what will Max do when he gets back home?

“I think I will work on my garden,” Max replied with a laugh. “It’s Christmas and New Year soon, so I want to make it nice for my family when they visit.

“I also have a passion for horses. I bought a few in Paris, so I will go there often to see them. I’m happy I can follow them more closely now.”

As for his footballing career, Max has no concrete plans yet, and may well call time on his 17-year professional journey. For now, he is simply looking forward to spending his free time with his wife and three children — 10-year-old daughter Alizee, and his two sons, Rafael (8) and Gabriel (7).

“I want to spend more time with my kids, that’s most important,” said the Kortrijk native. “Usually we train in the late afternoons at the Sailors. So when they come back from school, I am going for training. When I come back, they are already asleep.

“Now I have more time with them, and I hope I can follow them everywhere they go and be the best father I can be.”

A Sailor, always

Despite the distance and the seven-hour time difference, Max insists he will continue supporting the club closely from Belgium.

“Of course I will be the number one supporter of this club,” Max declared. “They gave me everything. Even from Belgium, I will try to watch the matches. This club will always stay in my heart.”

And what does he hope people remember him for once he leaves?

“Not just the goals or assists. I want the fans to remember that I always gave everything to the shirt,” said Max.

As he prepares for his final match on 20 December, the chapter closes on one of the most influential players the Sailors have ever seen, a footballer who arrived seeking a fresh start and went on to give the club some of its most unforgettable years.

He came, he inspired, and he leaves as part of the club’s history.

Merci, Maxime.