‘Taiwan’s Eden Hazard’ Emilio Estevez Tsai makes history with move to Europe’s top flight
- The 21-year-old creative midfielder lands in Den Haag to start Dutch Eredivisie adventure
- Former Canadian Premier League prospect shot to stardom after superb debut for Taiwan in World Cup qualifier
After finally boarding a flight to complete his historic move to Dutch Eredivisie side ADO Den Haag this week, Taiwan national team footballer Emilio Estevez Tsai reflected on the match that changed his life.
The 21-year-old Taiwanese-Canadian, born in Toronto to a Spanish father and Taiwanese mother, became the first Canadian Premier League player to transfer to a European top flight and is reported to be the first of Taiwanese descent to play in Holland’s Eredivisie league.
A near-flawless national team debut against Australia in a 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifier last October prompted several European scouts to scramble for the attacking midfielder – Chinese name Tsai Li-ching – who has been compared to Real Madrid’s Eden Hazard by Taiwanese media.
This chain of events started thanks to former Taiwan head coaches Gary White and Louis Lancaster’s persistent phone calls.
“I had signed my first pro contract with York9 FC and that’s when Louis Lancaster got the head coach spot and contacted me. Every day he would call me and try to convince me to come. I think he was calling me more than my mother and father!” Estevez Tsai joked, explaining that a training injury had postponed his Taiwan debut when White was in charge.