Mainland China-based footballer Matt Orr has urged his Hong Kong teammates to quit the city’s waning domestic league for careers outside its borders, in a bid to raise the standard of the national side.
Striker Orr, a member of the squad preparing for Hong Kong’s first Asian Cup finals appearance since 1968, made the leap in August last year when he left a comfort zone at domestic giants Kitchee to join Guangxi Pingguo Haliao.
The 26-year-old has thrived this year in China League One, scoring 15 goals, having begun the campaign “with a chip on my shoulder and wanting to prove people wrong” after being targeted by keyboard warriors when he made a slow start in the country’s second tier.
“I hear the noise, sometimes, but I take it on the chin and use it as motivation,” he said, adding that testing himself in a “more physical and direct league” had paid off.
“I have been encouraging players to go abroad since I made the move,” Orr said. “No one wants Hong Kong to improve more than me. We want to consistently play at the highest level and compete in these big tournaments.
“One way to do that is for more players to take leaps of faith, believe in themselves, and test themselves in foreign leagues.
“The standard of the Hong Kong Premier League has dropped, but we have a lot of players capable of going overseas.”
Coach Jorn Andersen’s current national squad features five players earning a living outside Hong Kong.
Orr noted a drop in the domestic league’s quality after signing for Kitchee in 2019, following three years playing college football in the United States.
“I trained with Kitchee during summers when I was 15 and 16, and the level was much higher,” Orr said.
“Now, only two teams are competing for the title, and some games are walkovers. Playing for Kitchee, I had time to turn on the ball and make decisions. If you take too long in the Chinese league, someone thumps you from behind.”
Orr said his US experience – joining the IMG Academy at 15 then playing for university teams in San Francisco and Syracuse – taught him to manage personal competition.
“There would be two or three new players in your position every year, the competition was ruthless, and I learned to handle it,” Orr said.
That has helped now that Hong Kong have what Orr calls their “strongest squad for a long time”. He welcomes the added threat to his own position from newly naturalised attacking pair Juninho and Stefan Pereira, having already had to contend with fellow forwards Michael Udebuluzor and Everton Camargo, who made swift impacts this season after obtaining passports.
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Orr has made a compelling case for selection despite the heightened competition for spots at the finals in Qatar.
“You cannot take it personally,” he said. “If you view it positively, you work harder and figure out ways to improve. In China, I have to perform and have the right mentality every day.”
He has remained in prime condition during the Chinese off-season and was front of the pack during torturous running exercises when Hong Kong began a month-long training camp on Thursday.
“I am fully aware playing in the Asian Cup is a big opportunity and I want to be firing,” Orr said. “I wanted to maintain my sharpness and physicality after a great season.
“I have not been shy to say, I went to China with the ambition of playing in the Super League. I am extremely hungry and want to prove myself at the highest level. I have to continue working hard, improving, and showing people what I can do, then good things will come.”
