“I think the club hopes I can bring over some support for the team, and I would love to try to get Hong Kong fans across, if they are interested in watching some good football,” Orr said.

Shenzhen’s home defeat by TJ Jinmen Tiger this month attracted only 7,671 supporters to their 44,050-capacity Bao’an Stadium.

“Shenzhen is such a business-concentrated city, so we do not get the biggest crowds in the league, and we would welcome as much support as possible.”

The Hong Kong Football Association’s Project Phoenix, implemented in 2011 to try to resuscitate the sport in the city, mooted the prospect of a “Hong Kong United” team competing on the mainland. A 2015 government review concluded “some progress” had been made towards realising that goal.

The idea has since been eased out of long-term FA plans, however, with attention shifted towards upgrading the local Premier League. The stated intention, from July 2020, of establishing an independent organisation to oversee the league and its commercial matters remains unfulfilled, while crowds are poor and players covet mainland transfers.

Orr’s international colleagues Sun Ming-him and Oliver Gerbig completed CSL transfers following Hong Kong’s impressive showing at January’s AFC Asian Cup finals in Qatar.

“It is exciting to have more Hong Kong players in the Super League, and improving their careers,” Orr said. “I hope l can encourage more fans to watch Shenzhen. It is a very short journey … 15 minutes on the train, then another 10-15 minutes in a car to the stadium.

“I am still finding my feet; it is a big step-up from China League One. The head coach [Jesus Tato] really believes in me; traditionally, in the CSL, the No 9s are foreigners, but he had watched me closely and said I could push for that position.

“I am confident I will be able to adjust, and start banging away goals soon.”

Before the 2024 campaign, Orr’s club was rebranded as Shenzhen Peng City, from its former incarnation as Sichuan Jiuniu, who were promoted as 2023 China League One champions.

The entire operation was moved 1,340km from the country’s southwest to Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong.

Since 2019, it has been owned by CFG, whose 13-club stable includes European champions Manchester City, and New York City from Major League Soccer.

“The first week [of preseason] the City Group CEO [Ferran Soriano] came to speak to us, and it was exciting to hear about the club’s ambitions,” Orr said.

“Down the line, they want to become a CSL force. The whole City Group project really appealed to me, and here are more lenses on you in the CSL. The magnitude of the league is huge.”

Orr started all three of Hong Kong’s matches at the Asian Cup, where “we established the belief we can compete with anyone”.

Uzbekistan, who come to Mong Kok Stadium on Thursday, before the reverse fixture in Tashkent next Tuesday, are ranked 66th in the world, 88 places above Hong Kong in 154th.

“We showed in Qatar we are not a pushover, and will battle with any team,” Orr said.

“The home game is massive, I think Mong Kok favours us, it is a slightly smaller pitch, so there is less space for them to knock it around.

“If we nail down our game plan and mentality, we can take something from the match.”