Kuala lumpur: Malayan Tigress Under-16 winger Lim You has the potential to become an important player for the senior national team in the future if her development continues on the right track, according to Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) Women's Technical Director Soleen Al-Zoubi.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Soleen said Lim You has already displayed several qualities beyond her powerful left-footed shooting, describing her as an intelligent and highly coachable player who reads the game and situations well despite only recently joining the national youth set-up. She highlighted that the 14-year-old player, who gained attention after scoring seven goals in Malaysia's 9-0 win over Saudi Arabia at the 2026 Srikandi Merdeka Cup in Kudus, Indonesia, still has room for improvement, particularly in her physical development, positioning, and overall understanding of her attacking role.

Soleen expressed her appreciation for Lim You's coachability and game intelligence, noting, "What I like about her is that she listens to the coach's instructions, she's very coachable and she's very smart as well. She understands the game and reads the game and situations very well." Despite the praise, Soleen emphasized the need for continued development in physical abilities and positioning as Lim You gains more experience.

Lim You is set firmly within FAM's long-term development pathway and, given her age, remains eligible for age-group competitions over the next few years, including the Under-15, Under-17, and subsequently Under-19 levels before potentially making the transition to the senior side. Soleen remarked, "We always encourage young players to progress to the senior level but before that we also have the Under-19 competition next year. We can test them there first and if they are ready, why not for the senior team in the near future."

FAM has also taken steps to manage expectations surrounding Lim You following the sudden attention on the youngster. Soleen revealed, "We spoke to her openly about the expectations. We don't expect her to score in every match because now of course the opponents know about her strengths. We expect them to mark her maybe even with two players." She added that Lim You is being given additional roles, including defending, positioning, and pressing, to diversify her contributions on the field.

Meanwhile, Malayan Tigress player S. Thivashini, who has represented Malaysia from the Under-15 level through to the senior team, was equally impressed by Lim You's natural ability and believes that greater international exposure and experience could enhance her potential. Thivashini commented, "She's left-footed and usually left-footed players are already gifted and she uses it wisely. She scored seven goals in a match, which even Messi has never done, so I feel like she has great potential to become something big and something better in the future."

Lim You, who stands at 165 centimeters, achieved her seven-goal feat with her left foot against Saudi Arabia, including a free-kick and a penalty. The youngster previously revealed that her father had worked on developing her left foot from a young age. This performance contributed to Malaysia finishing as runners-up in Group A on four points and securing a semi-final clash with Group B winners Thailand.

Born in Taiwan and now based in Washington, United States, Lim You has Malaysian roots through her parents who were born and raised in Johor.