The 2016 TPL season is about a month away. With Chainat reportedly pursuing a player from Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon, Firdaus has gone from fretting over his team in the computer simulation game, Football Manager, to being directly involved in the possible signing of big-name players.
"One of Chainat's coaches was at the course with me, and I guess he was impressed by the reports and analyses of games that I did during the course, and recommended me," he said.
"I submitted some other reports (of matches in Asean) I did in my free time, but doing analysis isn't new to me, I've been doing it since I was 14," added Firdaus, who gave up on a Mathematics degree course at SIM University as well as a tuition-centre business to focus on his first love, football.
"I understand that I'm young, I don't have much of a playing background, or have any connections in Singapore football, but I do have tons of notes that I made when I was younger," he said, smiling as he recounted coaching a 12-year-old Faris Ramli.
"I definitely can't claim any credit for the player that Faris is today, he was already a great talent when he was 12."
Speaking to TNP again a week after his arrival in Thailand, Firdaus revealed how he has been blown away by the facilities and sports science know-how at Chainat.
The club also boast a full-time chef to ensure players are on a nutrition programme worthy of the sport's elite.
"I'm very impressed with what I've seen so far. Chainat is a small town, not very modernised, but the club is a completely different world," said Firdaus, who still dreams of one day being involved in Singapore's national coaching set-up.
"The target is of course to come back and coach and do something for Singapore football. But in my role here, I am keeping an eye on the Singapore market (and maybe to bring) outstanding players here," he added.
"I am sure the experience at Chainat will be a steep learning curve for me, with a lot of bumps and bruises.
"Ultimately, Singapore is my home and I would love nothing more than to help change the football landscape."