Club career He played generally in the role of
sweeper, as the last man in defence. He was renowned for his poise on the ball and impeccable reading of the game. He was nicknamed "Captain Marvel", for his leadership qualities, and one of his trademark moves was the long throw-in. Among his national teammates, he was nicknamed "Ganesan's favourite" as one of the privileged ones under
N. Ganesan when Ganesan was vice president of
Football Association of Singapore. In 1982, Pathmanathan left
Singapore FA to join
Pahang FA. In 1983, he won the
Malaysia Cup with the team. He played with Pahang till 1987 when his contracts end on 24 April 1988. Pathmanathan then rejoined Singapore FA with the
Football Association of Singapore (FAS). In 1997, Pathmanathan joined
National Football League Division 2 club
Tessensohn Khalsa Rovers as a player-coach.
International career In 1984, Pathmanathan was recalled to the national team for
Merlion Cup. He was initially unable to join the team until he was released by Pahang. == Coaching career ==