KUALA LUMPUR: National football legend Santokh Singh is in a coma at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital after collapsing at his home on Monday.

FA of Selangor secretary-general Datuk Hamidin Amin said the 57-year-old former defender suffered from a viral infection.

"He suffered chills and collapsed at home. He lapsed into a coma the following day in hospital," Hamidin said after visiting the former footballer at KLH yesterday.

Santokh formed a formidable defensive partnership with Datuk Soh Chin Aun for both club and country in the 1970s and 1980s and starred for Selangor alongside the legendary Mokhtar Dahari and goalkeeper R. Arumugam.

After being plucked from the Selangor Burnley Cup team by coach Datuk Ghani Minhat, the burly defender went on to win the Malaysia Cup with Selangor nine times between 1972 and 1985.

He made his national team debut in 1972 and featured in the side that qualified for the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.

Santokh helped Malaysia win a bronze medal at the 1974 Teheran Asian Games and back-to-back Sea Games triumphs in 1977 and 1979.