Singapore legend Aleksandar Duric has warned Jermaine Pennant to expect a difficult transition to Singapore as the ex-Liverpool and Arsenal winger looks to play a more central role with Tampines Rovers in the Great Eastern-Yeo's S.League this season.
Duric was asked to make a similar switch when he came to the S.League a decade and a half ago, but predicted that the Englishman would handle the additional responsibilities.
"It's challenging and it will certainly not be easy for Jermaine," Arsenal fan Duric told ESPN FC as he launched his autobiography 'Beyond Borders' in Singapore at the weekend.
"But Jermaine has so much experience that he is able to play in any attacking position on a team so it shouldn't be a problem."
The now-retired Duric was a left-sided midfielder when he arrived in the S.League from Australia's National Soccer League in 1999. He was asked to convert to a central striker -- and responded by scoring 11 goals in 16 matches for Tanjong Pagar United in his debut season.
"For me, it was very challenging and took me around two months to adjust because I arrived when the season had already begun," he said.
"But Jermaine's advantage is that he's been almost a month and has had some trial games to settle in."
Tampines was Duric's final S.League club when he retired from football at the end of 2014 after a 22-year professional career at the age of 44. He was on the club's coaching staff in the 2015 campaign, but begins a new role this week with the ActiveSG Football Academy, helping youngsters develop skills.
Duric predicts that Tampines -- last season's runners-up -- would go one step further this year under head coach V. Sundramoorthy.
"Tampines are hot favourites because they have a fantastic looking squad with Pennant and a lot of the returning LionsXII players," he said.
"They also have Fazrul Nawaz who was last year's best Singaporean striker in the S.League so I'm looking forward to seeing him play with Tampines.
"But football is a funny sport and it's a long season and anything can happen."
As for Tampines' main contenders, eight-time S.League winner Duric expected Home United, 2015 champions Brunei DPMM and Japan's Albirex Niigata (S) to make up the top four.
"Home United have a good combination of the youngest and oldest players and I expect them to be fighting for top spot. Brunei have many of the same squad rom last season while Albirex are always strong. There will be no easy games in the S.League this season."
Bosnian-born Duric earned 53 caps for Singapore between 2007 and 2012, scoring 24 times. At Singapore club level, he amassed 370 goals in 523 matches over 16 seasons.
In Australia, he played for clubs including South Melbourne, Marconi and West Adelaide and had a season in China with Lokomotive Shanshan in 1997.