He made his S.League debut in 1997 and by the following year, had established himself as a first-team player.
He won the Singapore Cup and Singapore FA Cup double with the now-renamed Tanjong Pagar United in 1998, and finished league runners-up in both 1997 and 1998.
His achievements won him recognition as the 1998 S.League Young Player of the Year.His club form led to a call up to the Singapore national team for the 1998 AFF Championship in which he made his international debut against Malaysia in the opening group match.
Singapore defeated Vietnam in the final to win their first international trophy.Lim was seriously injured in an accident while riding his motorbike under the influence in January 1999.
The injuries left him with impaired vision, coordination problems slower reflexes on the left side of his body and he had to undergo reconstruction of a ligament in his left knee.
He attempted to make a comeback with Tampines Rovers in 2002 but was sacked by the club after he received an eight-week prison sentence in July 2002 for alleged disorderly behaviour and assaulting a police officer.