Aarun eyes the Football World

Aarun Lim has gone from pulling on a Hillcrest High shirt in Hamilton to playing international football in South East Asia in front of 30,000 fans.

The defender trained at Melville United AFC under Sam Wilkinson and Roger Wilkinson, before leaving New Zealand for Cambodia in 2021. Lim’s father Kun is Cambodian and the family lived in both countries during Aarun’s childhood.

After starting his career with club Boueng Ket, Lim is now on the books of Nagaworld in the country’s Premier League.

Lim says his idol and former coach, Keisuke Honda, offered him the advice to ‘allow football to open up new horizons’ and if he follows this, the list of countries he plays in could be a long one.

Honda, who worked with Lim for two years, was capped 98 times for Japan and played in Holland, Russia, Italy, Brazil, Azerbaijan and Lithuania. He retired in 2021 and became Cambodia’s national coach.

Lim’s passion for football was sparked by the success of his older brother Jet, now the assistant coach of the Melville Men’s First team. Aarun played for both Hillcrest High and St. Paul’s Collegiate and was among the first students at the Melville Academy in 2017.

It was here that Roger Wilkinson , the former Napier City and Waikato National League team coach, saw his promise. During his time at the academy, the versatile Lim established himself as a central defensive midfielder. He attributes the strength of his passing game to Wilkinson’s coaching.

Wilkinson, who was instrumental in getting current All Whites skipper, Chris Wood, into English football, said Lim was a “determined and hard-working lad”. Asked what advice he gave him, Wilkinson said “always check your shoulders, make sure you are aware of what’s happening around you before you receive the ball”.

Lim said he mulled over the decision to leave his family and New Zealand for a tilt at professional football in Cambodia. He’s now at his third club, on a two-year contract with Nagaworld after turning out previously for Boueng Ket and Kirivong Sok Sen Chey.

He has also stepped onto the international stage with the country’s Under-22 team at the South East Asian Games in May this year where Cambodia chalked up a win and a draw in four outings. “This tournament is the biggest I’ve ever been a part of. Sometimes we played in front of crowds that numbered 30,000,” he said.

“It was my first time being in a high-pressure tournament, it taught me many things like how to block out the noise, and focus on the job I need to do.”

In September, Lim was selected as a sub for the under-23 Cambodian team for a friendly match with Japan . While not used in that match, it is a sign that Lim is on the selector’s radar.

With plenty of time left on his contract, Lim is focused on Nagaworld, who have struggled in the premier league this season, and winning a full cap for his country.

He says he loves playing in Cambodia but is open to taking Honda’s advice and doesn’t rule out following his passion for the game around the world.