Hong Kong club hope David Silva can be their hero – but just for one day

Hong Kong, China (as is the official football name), has long tried to follow the advice of Han Solo in Return of the Jedi: keeping their distance from China while trying not to look like they are keeping their distance. It is all about maintaining an independent football association and the trappings and privilege that come with it. There was some talk a few years ago about getting a Hong Kong team in the Chinese Super League, when the spending was in full flow, and although that did not happen the local Premier League has belatedly got in on the act – kind of.

This glittering city is not known as a football hotbed but has a long history in the sport that started when it was a British colony and has continued since it became a special administrative region of China in 1997. George Best, Peter Shilton, Arie Haan, Bobby Moore, Diego Forlán, Nicky Butt, René van de Kerkhof, Tony Morley, Gordon McQueen and Craig Foster have played in the territory and soon David Silva will too.

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Shortly after the trophies Silva helped Manchester City to win between 2011 and 2018 were tainted by the findings of the Premier League’s independent commission, the 40-year-old picked up the boots that thrilled the Etihad Stadium for so long and is returning to action, though there is confusion as to how long he will be in action for.

Last week it was announced that Silva had joined the Hong Kong Premier League club Supreme Sha Tin, more than three years after retiring owing to an anterior cruciate ligament injury picked up during pre-season training for Real Sociedad. There had been three seasons in San Sebastián after his decade with City, with whom he won four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and five League Cups. Add 125 caps for Spain, the 2010 World Cup triumph and the Euros on either side and it was quite the career – and it is not quite over.

Supreme Sha Tin were promoted last season and tried to sign Juan Mata but have landed a bigger name. “I am very happy to join Supreme Sha Tin for this experience,” Silva said. “I am really looking forward to going to Hong Kong to enjoy the culture, the people and the food.”

That was the video posted on the club’s Instagram account with Silva’s introduction. “Our founders struck it big with this deal!” was the reaction and there were promises made to fans of special perks of behind-the-scenes access to training.

“We are officially announcing that the legendary Spanish No 21 midfielder, David Silva, has officially joined Supreme Sha Tin!” The post then added: “David Silva will be in Hong Kong soon to settle in, link up with squad training, and build up to peak match fitness before making his pitch debut. Stay tuned!”

It sounded as if Silva would be with the club for the remainder of the season, 17 games for the team to try to climb the table after a slowish start. It made headlines around the world, much to the confusion of the player. “I am surprised because in the end it is only to play one match,” Silva said. “The news made it look like I had signed for a season and it has kept me busy all afternoon. It is a league match, but it is still just one match.”

Whether it is good for Hong Kong football to bring a 40-year-old out of retirement for only one game is not a question for Silva to answer. He is not doing it for the money either.

Silva said: “It is in Hong Kong, a city I love very much … Some have expressed concern about the financial side for me … But that is not the case here. Thanks to my father and my adviser, with whom I have been investing well for years, I have achieved great success.”

Investing well and achieving success are precisely what the ambitious Sha Tin owner, Jim Wong Chi-chuen, who also plays for the team, wants after taking over three years ago. Along the way, the club have been rebranded and before this new season he appointed the girl group Collar as club ambassadors.

A change of image was necessary because the coach who delivered promotion, Lo Kwan-yee, a former Hong Kong footballer of the year, was reportedly arrested in June in relation to match-fixing allegations. Local media reported that the allegations relate to the period before Lo joined Sha Tin but Wong said the club had been affected. “We’ve lost some sponsors and, financially, they haven’t been replaced,” he told the South China Morning Post. “The financial pressure on me is greater than I expected, but I want to push this forward and make it work. I’m trying to do something very pure.”

When scandals and sham contracts are making the headlines, the sight of Silva in full flow is as pure as it gets. If he can be a hero, even if for just one day, it could be the talk of Hong Kong for years to come.