Sean Tse Ka Keung (pronounced [ʃɔn tsɛː˨ kɑː˥˧ kʰœːŋ˨˩], Chinese: 謝家強; born 3 May 1992) is an English-born Hong Kong professional footballer who currently plays for Northern Premier League Division One West club Stalybridge Celtic.

Sean Tse
謝家強
Tse training with Hong Kong in 2023
Personal information
Full name Sean Tse Ka Keung[1]
Date of birth (1992-05-03) 3 May 1992 (age 32)[2]
Place of birth Salford, England
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[2]
Position(s) Centre back
Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
Stalybridge Celtic
Youth career
2004–2005 Manchester United
2005–2012 Manchester City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2017 South China 58 (5)
2017–2018 Tai Po 7 (1)
2018–2020 R&F 27 (3)
2021–2022 Kitchee 8 (0)
2023 Hyde United
2023–2024 Radcliffe
2024– Stalybridge Celtic
International career
2022 Hong Kong 8 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 July 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 September 2022
Sean Tse
Traditional Chinese謝家強
Simplified Chinese谢家强
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinXiè Jiāqiáng
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingZe6 Gaa1 koeng4

Club career

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Manchester City

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Tse was born in Salford, Greater Manchester, to a Hong Kongese father and an English mother of Irish descent.[citation needed] He went on trial with Manchester United in 2004 before joining Manchester City at under-14 level in September 2005.[3][4] He spent the majority of seasons in the academy team, and was voted the Academy Player of the Month in November 2009.[5] After finishing his time in the academy, he was released by Manchester City in May 2012.[6]

South China

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In August 2012, despite being linked with Oldham Athletic,[citation needed] Tse signed for Hong Kong side South China.[citation needed] He made his Hong Kong First Division League debut on 2 September 2012, coming on as a 74th-minute substitute in a 5–2 win over Yokohama FC Hong Kong at Hong Kong Stadium.[7]

Tai Po

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On 8 August 2017, Tai Po announced that they had signed Tse.[8]

On 3 August 2018, it was confirmed that R&F had signed Tse.[9] On 14 October 2020, Tse left the club after his club's withdrawal from the Hong Kong Premier League in the new season.

Kitchee

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On 17 February 2021, Kitchee announced the signing of Tse.[10] He made 8 appearances for the club. On 1 July 2022, Tse's contract expired and he left the club.[11]

Hyde United

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On 21 July 2023, Tse joined Northern Premier League Premier Division club Hyde United, a seventh tier club in English football.[12]

Radcliffe

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On 27 October 2023, Tse joined Radcliffe.

International career

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Tse is eligible for the Republic of Ireland through his maternal grand-parentage.[citation needed] Tse was called up for Republic of Ireland national under-17 team in April 2009 for two under-17 friendlies against Poland but he absented these two matches.[13][14]

He has also shown interest in joining the Hong Kong national team and was listed on the training squad roster for the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup in 2012.[15] He was then called up by Kim Pan-Gon, the Hong Kong head coach, for the 2013 Guangdong–Hong Kong Cup.[citation needed]

As of June 2020, Tse is in the final stages of receiving his Hong Kong passport.[16]

On 18 August 2021, Tse was granted the HKSAR passport, making him eligible to represent Hong Kong internationally.[17]

On 8 June 2022, Tse made his international debut for Hong Kong in the Asian Cup qualifiers against Afghanistan.

On 1 January 2024, Tse was called up to Hong Kong's squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.[18]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of 16 April 2022
Club Season League Continental Cups Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
South China 2012–13 Hong Kong First Division 13 0 5 1 18 1
2013–14 11 2 4[a] 0 6 0 21 2
2014–15 Hong Kong Premier League 10 2 7 0 17 2
2015–16 11 0 7 0 18 0
2016–17 13 1 4 0 17 1
Total 58 5 4 0 25 1 91 6
Tai Po 2017–18 Hong Kong Premier League 7 1 3 0 10 1
R&F 2018–19 15 2 3 0 18 2
2019–20 12 1 4 1 16 2
Total 27 3 7 1 34 4
Kitchee 2020–21 Hong Kong Premier League 7 0 0 0 7 0
2021–22 1 0 1[b] 0 5 0 7 0
Total 8 0 1 0 5 0 14 0
Career total 100 9 5 0 40 2 149 11
  1. ^ Appearances in the AFC Cup
  2. ^ Appearances in the AFC Champions League

International

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As of 24 September 2022
National team Year Apps Goals
Hong Kong 2022 8 0
Total 8 0

Honours

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Club

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South China

References

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  1. ^ Sean Tse at Soccerway. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  2. ^ a b "4. 謝家強". South China AA. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  3. ^ "Sean Tse joins Hong Kong's South China AA". 12 August 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2009.
  4. ^ "Sean Tse". Manchester City F.C. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012.
  5. ^ "Shay lands Player of the Month Award". Manchester City F.C. 9 December 2009. Archived from the original on 13 December 2009. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  6. ^ "Owen Hargreaves released by Manchester City". Manchester Evening News. 22 May 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Match Results: 2 September 2012". Hong Kong Football Association. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  8. ^ "和富大埔簽埋謝家強 防線人腳從未如此豪華過". Upower. 8 August 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2017. (in Chinese)
  9. ^ "官宣|前曼城预备队队长加盟,R&F富力港超新季集结". Guangzhou R&F (in Chinese). Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  10. ^ 港超聯 羅拔圖、謝家強齊齊加盟傑志! on.cc 17 February 2021
  11. ^ "Hong Kong internationals among 8 to leave Kitchee". South China Morning Post. 2 July 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  12. ^ "Tse Signs – Hyde United". hydeunited.co.uk. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  13. ^ Sean McCaffrey calls two into Republic of Ireland Under 17 squad ahead of Poland friendlies, Football Association of Ireland, 21 March 2009
  14. ^ Poland beat Ireland Under-17s in friendly at United Park Archived 25 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Football Association of Ireland, 21 April 2009
  15. ^ Hong Kong Senior Training Squad for the qualifying phase of the 2013 East Asian Football Federation, Hong Kong Football Association, 23 August 2012
  16. ^ Tsang, Ngan Ping. "港足守強攻弱 新「兵」成及時雨". Apple Daily. Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020. (in Chinese)
  17. ^ "成功入籍!謝家強IG大哂特區護照". on.cc. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021. (in Chinese)
  18. ^ "亞洲盃-謝家強成港足第26人 闊別逾一年 效力英格蘭第七級聯賽" [Asian Cup - Tse Ka-keung from the seventh tier of England becomes the 26th player of Hong Kong football team after more than a year absence]. Hong Kong News (in Chinese). 1 January 2024. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
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