Chan Yuk Chi

Chan Yuk Chi
陳旭智

Personal information
Full name	Chan Yuk Chi
Date of birth	(1984-09-08) 8 September 1984 (age 40)
Place of birth	Tai Po, Hong Kong
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Youth career
	Yee Hope
	Rangers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2002–2017	Tai Po	168	(6)
International career
	Hong Kong U-20
Managerial career
2017–2020	Tai Po (assistant coach)
2020–2022	Tai Po
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 April 2017

In this Chinese name, the family name is Chan.

Chan Yuk Chi (Chinese: 陳旭智; Cantonese Yale: Chàn Yūkji, born 8 September 1984) is a former Hong Kong professional footballer.

Club career

Chan Yuk Chi was born in Hong Kong. He joined the youth team of Yee Hope and Hong Kong Rangers when he was in secondary school, but had chosen to give up his dreams on playing football and instead concentrated on studying due to the pressure of handling both sides.^[1]

When the Third District Division League was formed, Tai Po Football Club joined the league and Chan Yuk Chi has been part of the team from that point. After finishing the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE), Chan Yuk Chi continued his studies in Computer Science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology where he obtained a Bachelor of Engineering degree three years later.

During Chan Yuk Chi's time at university, he shared his time between studying and football again. After living in school dormitory for the first semester, Chan Yuk Chi moved back home for the rest of his university time, as it was more convenient to attend the Tai Po FC training sessions held in Tai Po. He also took up the responsibilities of a coach in the training sessions, as he is also a HKFA "C” Licence Coach.^[2][3]

At the time he graduated from the university, Tai Po Football Club obtained promotion from the 2nd division to the 1st Division and he became a professional football player since then (which is unusual in Hong Kong as the common recognised declining of Hong Kong Football). He told the media that he would as least take part in professional football for 2 years to see if he would be capable to achieve something in football.^[4] He has also mentioned on several occasions that being a professional football player was his dream, including in a conversation with Donald Tsang, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong.^[5]

Although not a guaranteed starter at Tai Po since the club was promoted, in his first 1st Division season Chan Yuk Chi still kept the captaincy and also experienced large portions of game minutes and many starting games, including playing and skippering the whole 90 minutes of the match in which Tai Po won against multiple cup winners Kitchee 2–1, where defender Joel scored the winner in the 90th minute from a direct free kick. He played for the club in 19 matches in total in the first season.

Apart from being a full-time player, Chan Yuk Chi was also an assistant secretary at the club.^[6]

Tai Po announced on 16 July 2017 that Chan had retired from football but remains in a coaching position at the club.^[7]

Honours

Tai Po

• Hong Kong Third District Division League: 2003–04
• Hong Kong FA Cup: 2008–09
• Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield: 2012–13
• Hong Kong Sapling Cup: 2016–17

References

1. Wofoo Tai Po – Football can fulfill dreams (和富大埔—足可圓夢)，Wofoo Social Enterprises，2007，"Chan Yuk Chi – The Football Dream of university graduate" (陳旭智—大學生的足球夢) p.12-19 ISBN 978-988-99851-1-0
2. 〈大埔足球隊諗計續命 Archived 18 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine〉,太陽報 , 20 April 2006
3. 〈NOW 新聞台 陳旭智火炬傳遞後接受訪問^{[permanent dead link‍]}〉,Tai Po Football Club Official Website
4. 〈大學畢業做波牛 Archived 18 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine〉,明報 , 9 September 2006
5. 〈從差利卓別靈到和富大埔^{[permanent dead link‍]}〉,特首網誌 , 29 November 2007
6. 〈大學生陳旭智「訓身」投入^{[permanent dead link‍]}〉,蘋果日報 , 1 August 2006
7. Kwong, Adrian (16 July 2017). "Tai Po 'hungry for more' as squad for next season is finalized". offside.hk. Retrieved 16 July 2017.