SEVERAL former Malaysian football heroes expressed displeasure after four Johor Darul Ta’zim players who quit the national team last year, will be welcomed back to the fold.

Aidil Zafuan Abdul Radzak, Safiq Rahim, S. Kunanlan and Amirulhadi Zainal quit within 48 hours of each other, citing the need to give young blood the chance to play for Harimau Malaysia.

Their desertion — four months before the AFF Cup — came after several disputes their club, JDT, had with the previous FA of Malaysia (FAM) management.

However, after JDT owner Tunku Ismail Ibrahim became FAM president last Saturday, the Johor Crown Prince persuaded the quartet to return to the national team.

The decision received mixed reactions from fans and players, with some lauding their return while others said it was a bad move.

Some compared their decision to reverse their decision to Lionel Messi, who quit the national team last June after losing the Copa America final, only to return three months later.

But the main difference was Messi didn’t miss a game before retracting his retirement.

The Johor players missed eight matches, including all four AFF Cup matches. Malaysia was eliminated at the group stages.

Datuk Santokh Singh, who served the national team with distinction in the 1970s and 1980s, was the most vocal of the former footballers.

The ex-Selangor defender, who also captained the national team, said: “They are traitors to our country.

“They deserted the team when we needed them. Now when FAM is led by Tunku Ismail, they have decided to return. I don’t like this kind of rubbish. They should never be selected again.”

Datuk James Wong echoed his sentiments.

James said: “It always an honour to play for the nation. No matter the situation, we would go all out to fight for the country. It’s simple, you should play for you country and never leave when needed.”

James’ former strike buddy, Datuk Hassan Sani was a little more diplomatic, saying: “Our national team is not doing well. There are pros and cons if they are accepted back. It hurts they abandoned the country and now want to return.”

Malaysia’s next match is an Asian Cup qualifier against North Korea on June 8.