“The Kong”, officially Hong Kong🇭🇰 was a UK overseas territory until 1997. The first Irish Pub in the Hong was opened by a lad from Northern Ireland in the same decade, Delaney’s. Two decades later, I worked out in the Kong in Delaney’s, I watched Hong Kong live a few times and I formed the Hong Kong Northern Ireland Supporters Club, which peaked at 9 members for the Russia match in 2012. We attended 3 Hong Kong national matches too.
Aside from all that, there have been Northern Irish footballers living in Hong Kong🇭🇰, and Hong Kongese🇭🇰 footballers living in Northern Ireland. These include Derek Spence and George Best, both who had spells out in the Kong. However for this post, I am including only Hong Kong born-NI linked footballers with international caps…
In our ongoing series on Northern Irishmen who played for other countries (and vice versa), this one focuses on the Kong. Previous similar articles include –
Northern Irish Footballers Who Played For Australia
Northern Irish Footballers Who Played For Canada
Northern Irish Footballers Who Played For New Zealand
Northern Irish Footballers Who Played For USA
Northern Irish Footballers Who Played For Scotland
Northern Irish Footballers Who Played For England
Northern Irish Footballers Who Played For Wales
Northern Irish Footballers Who Played For The Kong
Northern Irish Footballers Who Played For The Channel Islands
Northern Irish Footballers Who Played For The Dominican Republic
Welsh-born Footballers Who Played For Northern Ireland
Lithuanian-born Footballers Who Played For Northern Ireland
Indian-born Footballers Who Played For Northern Ireland
English-born Footballers Who Played For Northern Ireland
Zambian-born Footballers Who Played For Northern Ireland
German-born Footballers Who Played For Northern Ireland
Spanish-born Footballers Who Played For Northern Ireland
Scottish-born Footballers Who Played For Northern Ireland
Canadian-born Footballers Who Played For Northern Ireland
USA-born Footballers Who Played For Northern Ireland
Norwegian-born Footballers Who Played For Northern Ireland
These lists are constantly needing to be updated so if any players have been missed or any stats are wrong, please get in touch with us!
1.Connor Pain
Hong Kong caps – 0.
Northern Ireland caps – 0.
Australia caps – 1 (full), 15 (under 23), 5 (under 21).
Born – Sha Tin, Hong Kong.
Clubs – Malvern City, Bentleigh Greens, Melbourne Victory, Central Coast Mariners, Western United.
Position – Winger.
Claim to fame – My Granda was a quarter finalist in the World Cup so he was.
Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connor_Pain
Connor Pain has three generations of sporting history. Pain’s grandfather Tommy Casey played in Newcastle United’s 1955 FA Cup Final‑winning team and for the Northern Ireland team which reached the quarter finals of the 1958 FIFA World Cup! Later in life, his father, Craig Pain, was a rugby union player who played in the Hong Kong Sevens Rugby Tournament between 1987 and 1993 and coached Hong Kong in the 2002 tournament.
Yet despite all that crazy history, Connor decided to play for Australia, and won 21 caps for them across all level. Ironically his only full level cap was against China in 2013. He once played in a friendly against Liverpool where another Northern Irishman, Brendan Rodgers singled him out for praise. Ten years after his last cap for Australia, Connor is still playing and available. But is he Hong Kong Loyal, a Socceroo or a GAWA Boy? History sides with the boomerang nation.
2.David Williamson
Hong Kong caps – 2 (full level, unrecognised).
Northern Ireland caps – 1 (Under 19 level).
Born – Somewhere in the Kong.
Clubs – Crusaders, Ballinimallard United, Motherwell, Cambridge United, Coleraine, Kettering Town, Yee Hope, Sligo Rovers, Bohemians, Bray Wanderers, Connecticut Wolves, Ards, Kitchee, TP-47, Hibernians.
Claim to fame – Played for Northern Ireland under 19’s in Ballinimallard and then was called up for Hong Kong in friendlies against Guangzhou and Shenzhen!
Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Williamson_(footballer)
Another Konger that could, and possibly should have played for Northern Ireland is David Williamson. Wee Dave was somewhat a journeyman if you look at the clubs he was at. While Connor Pain only officially played for one country, Dave did represent both Hong Kong and Northern Ireland and remains the only known player to have done that.
Red Herrings
There are a few others that might get confused including Sean who was at Manchester City…
Sean Tse Ka Keung
Although born in the Kong, Sean was capped for Republic of Ireland and not Northern Ireland.
Adam Tse Ka Keung
Although born in the Kong, Sean’s wee brother Adam was capped for Republic of Ireland and not Northern Ireland.
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