Hong Kong’s Jesse Yu wants second shot at Chinese football, but eyes other goals first
Jesse Yu is back at Eastern after a year with Shijiazhuang Gongfu, poised for Hong Kong clash with FC Seoul on Saturday
Having benefited from the “football and life lessons” delivered over one year in China League One, Jesse Yu Joy-yin has three major goals before he thinks about another cross-border move.
Yu rejoined Hong Kong Premier League side Eastern last month after making 17 appearances in his season with Shijiazhuang Gongfu, and the midfielder has made a positive start towards his first target of “helping the club as much as I can”, playing an influential part in a 3-0 win over North District on Saturday.
On the Hong Kong front, this weekend’s Lunar New Year Cup game against FC Seoul will provide the 24-year-old, who has come off the bench for 12 of his 19 international appearances, with an opportunity to press his claims for a regular starting berth.
“I’ve always wanted to establish myself as a starter … I was fighting for it under the previous managers, and I want to show I can be the best,” said Yu, who was more enthusiastic about the game than underwhelmed supporters.
And a performance like the one last weekend could also help push his old Eastern boss Roberto Losada’s case for the permanent head coach role.
After the exhibition match, Losada is likely to have just two more games next month, the meaningless Asian Cup qualifier in India and a friendly against still-to-be-confirmed opponents, to further impress his Football Association of Hong Kong, China bosses before they choose the city’s next manager.