{{Short description|Singaporean footballer (born 2008)}} {{Use British English|date=April 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Nathan Mao | fullname = Nathan Mao Zhi Xuan | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2008|03|26|df=yes}} | birth_place = Singapore | height = | image = | caption = | position = [[Forward (association football)|Forward]] | currentclub = [[Young Lions FC|Young Lions]] (on loan from [[Lion City Sailors FC|Lion City Sailors]]) | clubnumber = 33 | youthyears1 = 2020–2023 | youthclubs1 = [[Lion City Sailors FC|Lion City Sailors]] | years1 = 2023– | clubs1 = [[Lion City Sailors FC|Lion City Sailors]] | caps1 = 3 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 2025– | clubs2 = → [[Young Lions FC|Young Lions]] (loan) | caps2 = 0 | goals2 = 0 | nationalyears1 = 2023–2024 | nationalteam1 = [[Singapore national under-16 football team|Singapore U16]] | nationalcaps1 = 2 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = 2025– | nationalteam2 = [[Singapore national under-23 football team|Singapore U23]] | nationalcaps2 = 2 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | nationalyears3 = 2026– | nationalteam3 = [[Singapore national football team|Singapore]] | nationalcaps3 = 1 | nationalgoals3 = 0 | club-update = 9 April 2025 | nationalteam-update = 2 April 2026 | medaltemplates = }}
'''Nathan Mao Zhi Xuan''' (born 26 March 2008) is a Singaporean professional [[Association football|footballer]] who plays as a [[Forward (association football)|forward]] for [[Singapore Premier League]] club [[Young Lions FC|Young Lions]], on loan from [[Lion City Sailors FC|Lion City Sailors]], and the [[Singapore national football team|Singapore national team]].
Mao currently holds the record of being the youngest player to play in the Singapore Premier League at 15 years and 5 days in the match against [[Tampines Rovers FC|Tampines Rovers]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}}
==Early life== Mao started playing football at the age of four. He attended [[Zhonghua Secondary School]].
==Club career== ===Lion City Sailors=== As a youth product, Mao joined the academy of [[Lion City Sailors FC|Lion City Sailors]] in 2020, when he was eight.<ref>{{cite web|title=Continued growth the key as young Nathan relishes the spotlight|url=https://www.lioncitysailorsfc.sg/continued-growth-the-key-as-young-nathan-relishes-the-spotlight/|access-date=9 April 2025|date=29 March 2025|work=Lion City Sailors}}</ref>
In November 2021, while he was in the LCS Academy U14 Elite squad, Mao was sent abroad for a six-week European training camp in Germany and Netherlands.<ref>{{cite web|title= Sailors Abroad: A journey of self-discovery, self-realisation – and inspiration|url= https://www.lioncitysailorsfc.sg/sailors-abroad-a-journey-of-self-discovery-self-realisation-and-inspiration/|access-date=9 April 2025|date=8 February 2022|work=Lion City Sailors}}</ref> He was sent overseas again from 29 October to 14 November 2022 to embark on a 16-day training stint at the [[Feyenoord Academy (Varkenoord)|Feyenoord Academy]] when he was in the U17 Elite squad.<ref>{{cite web|title= Sailors Abroad: Learning and gleaning from the best in Feyenoord|url= https://www.lioncitysailorsfc.sg/sailors-abroad-learning-and-gleaning-from-the-best-in-feyenoord/|access-date=9 April 2025|date=6 December 2022|work=Lion City Sailors}}</ref>
On 31 March 2023, Mao became [[Singapore Premier League]]'s youngest debutant at 15 years and 5 days old when he was introduced as a substitute against [[Tampines Rovers FC|Tampines Rovers]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ang |first=Ervin |date=2023-03-31 |title=SPL leaders Tampines defeat Sailors 4-3 to open up four-point lead |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/spl-leaders-tampines-defeat-sailors-4-3-to-open-up-four-point-lead |access-date=2025-07-21 |work=[[The Straits Times]] |language=en |issn=0585-3923}}</ref> Mao was first involved in the continental stage when he was part of Lion City Sailors' squad in the [[2023–24 AFC Champions League]] campaign. He made into head coach [[Aleksandar Ranković]]'s matchday 1 squad in the 2–1 defeat to [[Bangkok United F.C.|Bangkok United]]. He became the youngest player to be named in an [[AFC Champions League Elite]] matchday squad since 2012 at 15 years and 178 days old, surpassing [[Suphanat Mueanta]]'s 15 years and 203 days record.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sailors Academy pride Nathan Mao relishing opportunity to shine on Asia's biggest stage|url= https://www.lioncitysailorsfc.sg/sailors-academy-pride-nathan-mao-relishing-opportunity-to-shine-on-asias-biggest-stage/|access-date=9 April 2025|date=23 September 2023|work=Lion City Sailors}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Shopee Cup: 5 young stars to look out for|url= https://aseanutdfc.com/asean-club-championship/2024/news/shopee-cup-five-youngsters-to-watch|access-date=9 April 2025|date=17 August 2024|work=aseanutdfc.com}}</ref>
On 16 September 2023, Mao assisted [[Haiqal Pashia]] in the stoppage time to secure a 3–1 league win over [[Geylang International FC|Geylang International]].
====Loan to Young Lions==== In July 2025, Mao was loaned to [[Young Lions FC|Young Lions]].
==International career== ===Youth=== In 2023, Mao was part of the Singapore U15 squad for the [[Lion City Cup]] (LCC). During the semi-finals, he scored a brace in the 3–1 win over Selangor FC.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Lin |first=Tianbao |date=2023-09-01 |title=Nathan Mao scores double to fire Singapore U-15s into Lion City Cup final |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/nathan-mao-scores-double-to-fire-singapore-u-15s-into-lion-city-cup-final |access-date=2025-07-21 |work=[[The Straits Times]] |language=en |issn=0585-3923}}</ref> In the LCC final match against Thailand's [[BG Pathum United F.C.|BG Pathum]], Singapore U-15 conceded an own goal early in the match and Mao helped to equalised late in the match with a corner kick which goalkeeper Kittiphob Poomee could not parry out of the goal.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Teoh |first=Melvyn |date=2023-09-03 |title=Singapore U-15s lose on penalties to Thai side BG Pathum in Lion City Cup final |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/singapore-u-15-lose-on-penalties-to-bg-pathum-in-lion-city-cup-final |access-date=2025-01-15 |work=[[The Straits Times]] |language=en}}</ref> BG Pathum eventually won the final 4–3 on penalty kicks.<ref name=":1" />
Mao was called up to the [[Singapore national under-16 football team|Singapore U16 squad]] for the [[2024 ASEAN U-16 Boys Championship]] held in Indonesia.
===Senior=== On 23 March 2026, Nathan was first called up to the [[Singapore national football team|Singapore national team]], for the [[2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification – third round|AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers]] against [[Bangladesh national football team|Bangladesh]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Gavin Lee names 26-man Singapore squad for Bangladesh match |url=https://fas.org.sg/gavin-lee-names-26-man-singapore-squad-for-bangladesh-match/|date=23 March 2026|access-date=24 March 2026|work=Football Association of Singapore}}</ref> Nathan made his debut, coming on in the 65th minute to replace [[Ikhsan Fandi]].
==Career statistics==
===Club=== {{updated|match played 9 April 2025}}<ref>{{Soccerway|901280|Nathan Mao|access-date=9 April 2025}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup !colspan="2"|League cup !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="3"|[[Lion City Sailors FC|Lion City Sailors]] |[[2023 Singapore Premier League|2023]] |rowspan="2"|[[Singapore Premier League]] |3||0||4||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0 |- |[[2024–25 Singapore Premier League|2024–25]] |0||0||4||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||11||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !3!!0!!8!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!11!!0 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !3!!0!!8!!0!!0!!0!!4!!0!!0!!0!!11!!0 |}
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==Honours== ===Lion City Sailors=== * [[Singapore Premier League]]: [[2024–25 Singapore Premier League|2024–25]] * [[Singapore Cup]]: [[2023 Singapore Cup|2023]] * [[Singapore Community Shield]]: 2024
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mao, Nathan}} [[Category:2008 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Singaporean men's footballers]] [[Category:Singapore men's international footballers]] [[Category:Singapore Premier League players]] [[Category:Men's association football forwards]] [[Category:Singaporean people of Chinese descent]] [[Category:Sportspeople of Chinese descent]] [[Category:Men's association football wingers]] [[Category:Singapore men's youth international footballers]] [[Category:Lion City Sailors FC players]] [[Category:21st-century Singaporean sportsmen]] [[Category:Footballers at the 2025 SEA Games]]