Midfield enforcer Tan Chun-lok has revealed how 3½ years in England toughened him physically and mentally, and the Kitchee player is eager for another shot at playing in Europe or on mainland China.
After relocating to Brooke House Football Academy in 2009, Tan soon signed for Peterborough United. In summer 2011, he joined Northampton Town, around the same time as current Hong Kong head coach Ashley Westwood arrived as a first-team player.
“England helped me build my personality; it was my first time away from home and I grew as a person,” said Tan, who has 55 Hong Kong caps.
“It was hard at the start. I was used to my parents doing things for me, but I had to do my laundry, make sure I ate well, and manage my schedule. In England, you have so much freedom; I learned how to behave as a professional.”
On the field, Tan encountered a “really tough style”.
“I improved my aerial ability and my tackling in 50-50s, where people go in really hard,” he said. “When I came back to Hong Kong, I was still young, but I had no fear of the foreign players or their physicality.”
