Soane, a 20-year-old striker who was the 2007 NSW Super League player of the year and a golden boot with Sydney Wanderers in the same year, trialled with the S-League club last month and signed a deal on January 31.

The trial came about after the forward toured Singapore last year with the Australasian Football Academy.  And while his contract is not thought to be especially lucrative, Soane quit his job for a shot at playing professional football in Asia.

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Soane told au.fourfourtwo.com: "After quitting my job, I began a rigorous early morning training programe including daily 8km road runs, beep tests, 12km runs, hour long treadmill sessions, boxing and pool sessions.

"Passing and finishing sessions along with the Australasian Football Academy sessions at night all helped me to reach my peak fitness and ultimately secure a contract over here."

Last month another young NSW Super League player, Goran Subara, signed a deal with S-League club Gombak United. The defensive midfielder is now a full-time professional after having three years with part time club Bonnyrigg.

Soane's coach at the academy Tony Basha (who also acted as the player's agent) says players outside of the NSW premier league with ability and ambition who want to make it to the A-League will find the S-League an ideal location to further their careers.

He said: "I think the S-League is a good start for a player of his age. It's full -time. Players train every day sometimes twice. It isn't as strong as the A-League but it's a stepping stone towards a professional career.

"The conditions are different so you would expect the game to be a little slower than the A-League.

"If Bryan didn't get the contract in Singapore he would be playing state league and training two or three nights a week.

"For someone who is looking for a future in the game, he must be training every day. Bryan has hinted he would like to play in the A-League. So it is more for the experience."

Losing players, albeit unknown ones, to the S-League feeds into the wider debate over the 3+1 rule.

The A-League is currently under serious attack from wealthier leagues in China, Japan and South Korea in particular who see Australian players as good value.

With the 3+1 rule, one AFC player is able to move to another AFC league club without being included as a visa player. In practise, it means the wealthier leagues can more easily snap up talent from smaller AFC competitions.

In turn, A-League stars, restrained by the salary cap, see such leagues as cash cows. The end result is a growing exodus from these shores.

Although as Basha notes, there may be long-term benefits for Australia in the S-League option.

"Playing in Singapore and having the training under his belt, Bryan can come
to Australia and have a crack at the A-League."