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.
“He kept calling to say it would be a great opportunity, not just to showcase my skills in Asia but the world because Taiwan had a big game against Australia.”
Although 138th-ranked Taiwan lost 7-1 at the Kaohsiung National Stadium, Estevez Tsai left his mark.
“[Fitting in the team] was easier than I expected because Louis and another player spoke English. My Mandarin is quite poor but the rest of the guys treated me with respect – it made my time there a lot easier,” he said.
“Lots of my teammates were happy for me after the performance. You’re going into a game playing against all these top players from the top English and German leagues, and you go in there and play good. It was a night I’ll never forget.
“I got a lot of attention after my debut. Before that, obviously I was known but I wasn’t getting much attention in the league. Everything changed after Australia. A lot of teams were interested and it was a big motivation.”
ADO Den Haag made an offer that Estevez Tsai could not refuse. He had always dreamed of playing in Europe – just not as soon as this summer.
“It caught me by surprise, to be honest. I wasn’t expecting it, but as soon as I found out they were interested and there was a chance of me going, I became very excited,” Estevez Tsai said.
“It was mainly the Taiwan game. That’s when they really saw me and I got the exposure. It’s really cool that teams are watching you even if you’re not one of the world’s top players.”
Den Haag is not Estevez Tsai’s first taste of European football – he had trials with Levante in Spain and QPR in England in his teens.
“At around 18, I moved to Valencia for a year – that’s when football was getting more serious,” he said. “It was different. When you’re living in Toronto you have all your friends and family. I could speak Spanish so I had no problem with the language barrier, but being away from home at a young age was something I had to adapt to.
“The level in Spain was a lot higher. After that I went to England for a week-long trial and played a friendly against Reading. Being in those countries where football is at the highest level definitely helped my development.”
Estevez Tsai cites his father and York9 coach Jimmy Brennan as the main figures in his fledgling career.
“Ever since I was a kid I’d always be kicking a ball around. I’ll always remember playing futsal with my dad and his friends, growing up playing against the older guys,” said Estevez Tsai, whose father named his son after Spain and Real Madrid legend Emilio Butragueno.
Estevez Tsai also thanked his parents for “always pushing me to chase my dreams even when it didn’t seem realistic”.
“Jim Brennan also helped me a lot. He was the guy that saw me when I really had nothing. I was a player that went in and paid C$200 (HK$1,150) for an open tryout, and he was the guy to sign me and let me play with freedom.
“I’m the type of player that might get on some coaches’ nerves because I like to hold onto the ball and express myself a lot. Some coaches might not like that, but Jim was the one that said, ‘Once you get on the ball, express yourself and do what you know best’.”
Even from the limited video of Estevez Tsai in action, it is clear he does just that. He said he aims to emulate some of the best.
“I try to draw from Neymar and [Andres] Iniesta. I try to add it all together while being myself,” he said. “I feel like I’m playing best when I can be free to give assists or score myself. I’m the type of player who plays best when having fun – a player with flair who enjoys the game a lot.”
Having finally touched down in the Netherlands amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Estevez Tsai said he has already been preparing for preseason – however long it may be.
“The team starts training on the 15th [of June] so they wanted me there a week before to settle in with the time difference and to keep my legs going. I’ve been working even before this whole deal happened. Since the pandemic, I’ve just been training on my own every day, keeping fit, and trying to prepare myself the best I can,” he said.
Both of Estevez Tsai’s coaches for club and country have changed since the pandemic began. Taiwan swapped Louis Lancaster for Vom Ca-nhum in February, while Den Haag replaced former English Premier League manager Alan Pardew for Aleksander Rankovic soon after the season was cancelled in April.
Estevez Tsai is intent on impressing whoever he plays for. “This is a big step in my career, so right now I just want to keep proving to myself that I can play at the highest level in Europe,” he said.
