Hong Kong midfielder Tan signs new deal with CSL side Guangzhou, days after snubbing city over AFC Asian Cup qualifiers
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Just days after snubbing the chance to play for Hong Kong in next month’s Asian Cup qualifying matches, Tan Chun-lok has renewed his contract with Chinese Super League club Guangzhou City.
The club announced the deal on Weibo, saying the attacking midfielder would play in the forthcoming CSL season.
Tan joined Guangzhou City in 2018 and in the 2018/19 season was loaned to Hong Kong Premier League side R&F – Guangzhou’s sister club – to “continue his all-round training”. Tuesday’s announcement made no mention of any further Hong Kong commitments.
The 26-year-old is one of Hong Kong’s most promising talents in recent years. After attending the Brooke House College Football Academy in England through a scholarship, he signed an apprentice contract with Peterborough United in 2009 before moving to Northampton Town two years later.
He returned to Hong Kong in 2013 after signing with Hong Kong First Division side Metro Gallery. As a member of the national under-23 squad, he played in the 2014 Asian Games, but a broken leg cut short his campaign, ruling him out of the last-16 clash against hosts South Korea.
Tan went on to make his senior international debut in a friendly against Thailand in October 2015 before signing with Guangzhou in 2018.