| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ahmad Shahrul Azhar Sofian | ||
| Date of birth | October 24, 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia | ||
| Playing position | Central Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1996-1997 | Perak FA | (3) | |
| 1998-1999 | Negeri Sembilan FA | (3) | |
| 2000-2008 | Perak FA | (21) | |
| 2009-present | Proton FC | ||
| National team | |||
| 2002 | Malaysia U-23[1] | 3 | (0) |
| 1999-2001 | Malaysia[2] | 6 | (1) |
| 1999-2002 | Malaysia | 41 | (7) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Ahmad Shahrul Azhar Sofian (born on October 24, 1974), currently plays for Proton FC in Malaysia Premier League, is a former Malaysian footballer best known for his time with Perak FA, where he was team captain and wore the number 7 jersey. He was a central midfielder.
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Shahrul spent almost his entire career with Perak FA. He made his debut in 1996 and remained with Perak FA until 2008 except in 1998 and 1999, where he joined Negeri Sembilan FA. He is a highly-influential player for Perak FA, but is perhaps more known for his fiery temperament than his footballing abilities. He was once banned 12 months for his antics against the fourth official after receiving a red card against Selangor MPPJ.
Shahrul made his international senior debut in 1999 Dunhill Cup in Vietnam. He also playing in the 1999 Southeast Asian Games where he score a hattrick against Cambodia. In 2000, Ahmad Shahrul selected as the captain of national team. His last appearance with the national team is at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea.
He was also sent off in the 2007 Malaysia Cup final for a second-bookable offense. Perak went on to lose that match 3-0. Fan favourite Ahmad Shahrul retired at the end of the 2008.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | August 4, 1999 | Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei | Cambodia | 7-3 | Won | 1999 Southeast Asian Games |
| 2. | August 4, 1999 | Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei | Cambodia | 7-3 | Won | 1999 Southeast Asian Games |
| 3. | August 4, 1999 | Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei | Cambodia | 7-3 | Won | 1999 Southeast Asian Games |
| 4. | November 7, 2000 | Songkhla, Thailand | Laos | 5-0 | Won | 2000 Tiger Cup |
| 5. | November 7, 2000 | Songkhla, Thailand | Cambodia | 3-2 | Won | 2000 Tiger Cup |
| 6. | February 9, 2001 | Ba Town, Fiji | Fiji | 2-1 | Won | Friendly |
| 7. | June 25, 2001 | Shah Alam, Malaysia | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2-2 | Draw | 2001 Merdeka Tournament |
Shahrul was honoured by the Perak state in 2005 along with his teammates Chan Wing Hoong, K. Nanthakumar, Mohd Hamsani Ahmad and Syamsul Saad for their contributions to state football.[3]