Flamboyant Hong Kong striker Chan Siu-ki had a habit of stealing the limelight, on and off the field. The gifted striker rose to the challenge as a steady stream of foreign players came and went, but he also earned a reputation as a “bad boy”. The 34-year-old Chan, Hong Kong’s leading scorer with 37 goals in 68 games, decided to retire after starting only three games and appearing 13 times as a substitute for Pegasus this season. Here are the highs – and lows – of Chan’s career. Early days Chan joined district club Tai Po in 2002 as a young amateur when they started in the Third Division. Spotted by First Division side Rangers, he started his professional career in 2003 but did not play a game as he was immediately sent on loan to Kitchee. 2009 East Asian Games hero Chan Siu-ki hangs up his boots Kitchee era (2003-2008) Chan won the best young player award in his first season with Kitchee in 2004 before claiming the prestigious title two more times (2005 and 2007). He made his debut for Hong Kong in November 2004 during an international friendly tournament in Singapore. He played two games as Hong Kong drew 0-0 against Singapore and 2-2 against Myanmar. Soon after his international baptism, he played for Hong Kong in the Lunar New Year Cup and was thrown in at the deep end against the mighty Brazilian national team. Hong Kong lost 7-1. He quickly found his mojo, scoring seven goals in a 15-0 win over Guam in a EAFF qualifying round in Taipei. He would score another 11 goals against the Pacific islanders in three more games, earning him the nickname “The Guam Butcher”. In the 2006-07 season, Chan thrust his middle finger at the fans of arch rivals South China during a match after being repeatedly abused. He said later he would never play for South China, the club with the longest history in Hong Kong football. Chan became captain of Kitchee the following season and led the club to two cup finals, but lost both the FA Cup and League Cup. In April 2008, a fist fight broke out between Chan and teammate Wang Zhenpeng during training. He refused to apologise and was banned by the club for the rest of the season. In the summer, he left Kitchee to join South China for a reported fee of HK$800,000, the highest ever for a local transfer. South China days (2008-2012) Chan was handed the No 7 jersey for South China, which was worn by Au Wai-lun, the best local striker before him. This inspired another nickname – Chan 7 – which he later adopted for a personalised car licence plate. In his first season with the Caroliners, Chan scored 19 goals, helping steer the club to the First Division title. Chan then caught global attention in a friendly match against Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur when he scored a sublime goal against goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes. Coupled with a penalty by captain Li Haiqiang, South China beat the visitors 2-0. Subsequently, he was offered a trial with the famous North London club in early December, despite the invitation clashing with Hong Kong’s campaign at the 2009 East Asian Games. Nevertheless, Chan controversially accepted the offer and missed almost all of the tournament. When Hong Kong eventually reached the final, Chan cut short his England adventure and flew back just before the start of the title-decider against a youth side from Japan. He scored the equaliser as a second-half substitute before the home side prevailed in a penalty shoot-out. Caroliners part ways with star striker Chan Siu-ki Chan was named the footballer of the year after helping South China to a double as the League and Senior Shield champions. They also reached the AFC Cup semi-finals, losing to Al-Kuwait. At international level, Chan scored his 27th goal for Hong Kong against Malaysia in a friendly in mid-2011, surpassing the record held by Au. Then came the biggest lowlight of his career. In May 2012, paparazzi snapped Chan smoking in Causeway Bay before accompanying a girl to a short-time hotel in Tin Hau. When he emerged, around two hours later, Chan told waiting reporters he and his friend were playing chess. South China boss Steven Lo Kit-sing was furious, and banned him from the season-ending Football Stars Awards. Chan also withdrew from the Hong Kong squad, who were preparing for a friendly against Singapore. In July, Chan left South China and started a new chapter in his career across the border at Guangdong Sunray Cave of Chinese League 1. Chan Siu-ki keen to stay in lucrative Chinese league Guangdong Sunray Cave stint (2012-2013) Chan scored his first goal for Sunray Cave against Chengdu Blades. After his club failed to gain promotion to the Chinese Super League the following season, Chan ended his short stint in China. Return to South China (2014-2017) Chan returned to South China in early 2014, helping the club to win the Senior Shield, but convenor Steven Lo left at the end of that season after a court case in Macau where he was found guilty of bribery. At international level, Chan scored a last-minute goal to give Hong Kong a 1-0 win against Bhutan in the World Cup Asian qualifiers in 2015, ending a three-year drought for Hong Kong. He scored again the following month in a friendly against Myanmar, and did not score again until 2017’s 1-1 draw against Singapore in another friendly. Following Lo’s departure, Chan struggled to find common ground with new convenor Wallace Cheung Kwong-yung. He was also moved to the wing, giving him fewer scoring chances. Pegasus move on cards for South China’s Chan Siu-ki In early 2017, Chan asked to leave South China, wanting to rejoin former boss Lo, who was now running his own club Pegasus. But South China asked for a fee of HK$1.2 million which was reduced to HK$200,000 before a deal was reached. Pegasus sunset (2017-2020) Arriving at Pegasus in the final stages of his career, Chan could do little to change their fortunes. His last game was on March 21 as a second-half substitute when Pegasus lost 5-0 to Eastern in the FA Cup semi-finals. With Pegasus calling an early end to their season because of the pandemic, it also brought down the curtain on Chan’s glittering career. He has now begun a new career as a restaurateur and oversees the karaoke business owned by his former ally Lo. As Chan once claimed: “I’m not very interested in being a coach. As an athlete, there’s always going to be a time when you have to call it quits.”