Former EPL Professionals Compete in HKFC Citi Soccer Sevens

Former EPL Professionals Compete in HKFC Citi Soccer Sevens
David James (former Liverpool and England goalkeeper) is unable to keep out Discovery Bay's second goal in their Master Plate Final. James' PlayonPROS went on to win the match 3-2 thanks to an Emile Heskey free kick. Dan Marchant
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HONG KONG—Former English Premier League and International goal keeper David James (Portsmouth, Liverpool and England) was in town last week to play in the Hong Kong Football Club Citi Soccer Sevens. Now in its 19th year the tournament is carving out a niche for itself as a great place to see former footballing legends as well as a host of future stars, as an assortment International teams’ Academy players and former professionals, converge on Hong Kong to compete for the competition’s Cup, Shield and Plate trophies.

James and fellow former EPL professionals (including Emile Heskey Mikael Silvestre and Colin Hendry) were in Hong Kong as part of the PlayonPROS team, competing in the tournament’s Masters Competition. The team was set up recently to help tackle the issues faced by professional athletes after they retire, and selected the HKFC Citi Soccer Sevens as the venue for their competitive footballing debut. There were a total of ten teams competing in the Masters tournament included the Hong Kong Football Club Chairman’s Select, Yau Yee League Masters, Wallsend Boys Club and the defending 2016 champions Citi All Stars. The PlayonPROS put in a good showing in their first competitive outing beating Discovery Bay 3-2 in the Plate Final. Top honours though went to defending champions Citi All Stars who beat Wallsend Boys Club 3-2 in the Cup Final.

The newly formed PlayonPROS team, making their first competitive appearance, secured a win in the Masters Plate Final. (Dan Marchant)
The newly formed PlayonPROS team, making their first competitive appearance, secured a win in the Masters Plate Final. Dan Marchant

Meanwhile in the Main tournament a total of 16 international Academy teams vied for the honours including Kitchee, Leicester City, Olympique Marseilles, Rangers Football Club, Wellington Phoenix, Bayer Leverkusen and 2016 defending champions Aston Villa. Villa again reached the Quarter Finals with two wins and a draw in the group stage and then dispatched Italian team Cagliari Calcio in the Quarter Finals with an impressive 3-0 win. They then qualified for the championship’s Cup Final with an even more impressive 4-0 win over France’s Olympique Marseille in the semis. Coming into the final on a high, the defending 2016 champions came up against follow British team Leicester City who had had an even more impressive run to the final, winning all three of their group matches and then besting both West Ham and Glasgow Rangers 3-1 in the Quarter and Semi Finals respectively. Unfortunately for Aston Villa it was Leicester that turned out to be the dominant team in a 3-0 win that saw championship top scorer Josh Eppiah score twice and Josh Gordon netting City’s third goal.

Aston Villa's #5 Jordan Cox, goes head-to-head (or at least hand to head) with Leicester City's #9 Joshua Gordon. (Dan Marchant)
Aston Villa's #5 Jordan Cox, goes head-to-head (or at least hand to head) with Leicester City's #9 Joshua Gordon. Dan Marchant
Leicester City #9 Joshua Gordon looks for a way past Aston Villa's Mitch Clark and Alex Prosser. (Dan Marchant)
Leicester City #9 Joshua Gordon looks for a way past Aston Villa's Mitch Clark and Alex Prosser. Dan Marchant
Leicester City #10 Josh Eppiah shoots (and scores) in Leicester City's Soccer Sevens Cup Final match against 2016 winners Aston Villa. (Dan Marchant)
Leicester City #10 Josh Eppiah shoots (and scores) in Leicester City's Soccer Sevens Cup Final match against 2016 winners Aston Villa. Dan Marchant
Leicester City #9 Joshua Gordon evades AV #2 Mitch Clarke to shoot (and score) in Leicester City's 3-0 cup final win over Villa. (Dan Marchant)
Leicester City #9 Joshua Gordon evades AV #2 Mitch Clarke to shoot (and score) in Leicester City's 3-0 cup final win over Villa. Dan Marchant
Leicester City's third and final goal secures their 3-0 cup final win over 2016 champions Aston Villa. (Dan Marchant)
Leicester City's third and final goal secures their 3-0 cup final win over 2016 champions Aston Villa. Dan Marchant
Aston Villa's #9 Keinan Davis loses control of the ball to City's #6 Alexandru Pascanu, as Villa lose in the cup final they previously won in 2016. (Dan Marchant)
Aston Villa's #9 Keinan Davis loses control of the ball to City's #6 Alexandru Pascanu, as Villa lose in the cup final they previously won in 2016. Dan Marchant
Leicester City lift the cup at the 2017 Citi Soccer Sevens, after defeating Aston Villa 3-0. (Dan Marchant)
Leicester City lift the cup at the 2017 Citi Soccer Sevens, after defeating Aston Villa 3-0. Dan Marchant

Dan Marchant, contributor to Epoch Times,  is a professional photographer and sports enthusiast.