The next David Beckham and Andres Iniesta – what happened to the young stars of the Hong Kong Soccer Sevens?
Glory and despair for the youngsters who lit up the tournament at Hong Kong Football Club in years gone by
Six-time champions Aston Villa and last year’s winners Leicester City are back along with teams from the English Premier League, Italy’s Serie A, Japan’s J.League and Australia’s A-League.
While we await the stars of the future to light up Sports Road at the weekend, take a trip down memory lane to see what became of the ones gone by.
David Bentley – Arsenal
Billed as the “new David Beckham” as a youngster, Bentley said he was out to take Beckham’s England spot when he was called up to the national team. His career took a different path and he gave up the game at 29 in 2014. By then he had played for England, Arsenal and Spurs as well as becoming the first Englishman to play in the Russian top flight. Now 33, he has a number of businesses in Spain and the UK, including restaurants and a flooring company. The only player to feature at the Sevens to win a watch by kicking a ball into a skip.
Jack Grealish – Aston Villa