KUALA LUMPUR: M-League footballers are finding it harder to secure a team following the resturcturing that has seen the second-tier Premier League being scrapped this season.
It has been replaced with the Reserve League this year which is expected to be limited to only Under-23 local players and foreign imports.
Malaysian Football league (MFL) have yet to release a clear guideline on the regulations for the Reserve League to the media.
While the move will help boost the development of Under-23 players, the fate of overaged players remains in doubt.
Former internationals K. Gurusamy, 34, and Norazlan Razali, 37, admitted it is tough to secure contracts as there are limited teams available.
They added that the gap in quality between the Super League and the third-tier M3 League is substantial.
Gurusamy admitted that he is finding it tough to find emploment as there are only 14 teams in the Super League this year following a number of withdrawals.
The midfielder had played with PJ City since 2020 but is now without a team following the Phoenix' withdrawal from the 2023 season.
"There are a lot of factors in play. For a footballer to go from Super League to M3 League, salaries become different," said Gurusamy.
"And it's not just the players, the coaches are also short of jobs.
"So what happens to the overaged or senior players? The Reserve League is for the the youngster and with the additional foreign (player) quotas, teams could opt for imports rather than locals.
"Footballers careers are short. Those who don't secure clubs now will just have to forget about football and end their career just like that."
He added that he is hoping to see the Premier League make a comeback next season.
Unlike Gurusamy, goalkeeper Norazlan has been absorbed by Kuching City who will be playing in the Super League for the first time this season.
"Without the Premier League, it could kill players' careers because before this we had the Premier League, President's Cup and Youth Cup," said Norazlan.
"I feel it is good that the Reserve League exists because it gives more opportunity to produce a pool of younger talent but for the overaged players, going from Super League to M3 League is a vast difference."
Yesterday, Perak head coach Datuk Lim Teong Kim voiced his concerns regarding the lack of jobs for footballers following the axing of the Premier League.