“The first Tiger to roam abroad: Malaysia's first professional and export 'Johnny' Wong Kong Leong.....

According to an Australian account, after a stint with part-time team of Chinese students that called themselves the Wings in Sydney's Metropolitan League, in 1959 Kong Leong, who was by then called 'Johnny' Wong, was signed by North Side United as the only Asian player in top-flight football at the time.
In 1962 he was reportedly bought by Apia Leichhardt, according to veteran journalist Devinder Singh, effectively also becoming the first Malayan/Malaysian player to command a transfer fee. He was also Australia's first Asian import player (although the source from The Guardian erroneously referred to him as a Singaporean).
Relatively little is known about his time in Australia, but during his stint at Apia, they won the 1964 National Premier Leagues NSW, the 1964 and 1965 National Premier Leagues NSW Grand Finals, and the 1962 Waratah Cup. Records show him scoring in the 1963, 1964 and the 1965 editions of the Australian Cup, as John Wong.....”

https://www.goal.com/en-ae/news/the-first-tiger-to-roam-abroad-malaysias-first-professional/1fyagk0jnufsc10ig8dnangx09

Interesting Article, not to sure why he was in Sydney to begin with, would you use a visa spot on a back up keeper? Something for Macarthur to try  tap into the Indian Market? 

https://www.newsclick.in/ballon-dor-2020-scrapped-gurpreet-singh-sandhu-training-ex-ac-milan-keeper-zeljko-kalac-sydney-and

GURPREET SANDHU TRAINS WITH KALAC

Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has been training under former AC Milan goalkeeper  Zeljko Kalac in Sydney to prepare himself for the upcoming season. The Bengaluru FC goalkeeper, a two-time Indian Super League (ISL) Golden Glove winner, has been stuck in Sydney since March 25 after India declared a national lockdown. Gurpreet told IANS from Sydney, "I have been training with their goalkeepers. I started about 3-4 weeks back. They train two times a week and have been kind enough to let me in.""They are coached by Zeljko Kalac and it has been amazing to pick his brains," added the 28-year-old."I trained with the team I think twice but after that I opted to only train during the individual goalkeeper sessions that the goalkeeper coach was doing with some of their academy keepers. Two of the boys are Huddersfield keepers..they are flying back to England tomorrow I think," he said. Sandhu is the only Indian male footballer to play for a European top division club, Stabaek FC in Norway.

🇲🇾 Luqman Hakim signs a 5-year deal with 🇧🇪 KV Kortrijk

Kubo loaned to Villareal from Real Madrid.

Hannover sign Japan right back Sei Muroya from FC Tokyo on a free. Incredibly surprised at the value of the deal. Only valued at 1M€ but has nearly 100 J league games plus AFC and national team experience. Good luck to him.

Takumi Minamino scoring his debut goal for Liverpool in the Community Shield against Arsenal.

Mehdi Taremi joins 🇵🇹 FC Porto on a 4️⃣-year deal contract!

Iranian forward. 18 games in 30 for Rio Ave. Taggart got 20 in 33. While the big Portuguese clubs are incredibly good the rest of the Portuguese League is certainly around the level of the top 6 K League clubs. Interesting comparison. 

Doan has moved from PSV to promoted side Bielefeld. 

Four goals for Son against Southampton in the EPL.

https://youtu.be/Mpdvwlnjyys

Asia's best ever?

First Asian player for score 4 in an EPL match (we were OFC when Viduka did it)

He sure stood up that game.
Brilliant player but many times during harder games he's not involved enough when Spurs have needed the inspiration, especially last season.
Being a forward gets more credit whereas how about Parks tenure for United.
Modern day right now he is the best Asian player in top flight football.
Hoping to see Minamano challenge him in the next year or 2.

Do you rate minamino? I haven’t seen much from him I think he needs to go on loan 

yes....
Lasting 5yrs at RBSalz is no mean feat imo.
Lots of player movements over the years with Leipzig and other clubs so he stood his ground in the bundas.
Coming to EPL is a step up for anoyone's career and you haven't seen him much for arrived late Jan window then covid struck.
Needs more time to settle in, he's a young 25yr old needing maturity and confidence around a squad of players at their peak/s.
A loan isn't a bad idea and may not be out of the question in the future but I can see him becoming A player, again IF his mentality can grasp whats all around him.
On this subject - I expect being Asian is a challenge there as well, think about it, not many have even made it to the top flight and there have been some very good plkayers over the years.
Son (28yrs) has been at Spurs 5yrs coming also from Bundas.
Need to give Mina a little more time and it sure hasn't been a normal year.

Hopefully it’s great to see Asians in the epl especially with so few Aussies 

Minamino will do well, he’s up against a very competitive squad as the champions of England have of course.

wouldn't have bought him full stop without Klopp's blessing.
His CL performance against us assured his potential and rep.

Mina is showing signs of settling in if anything is to go by his Cup performance overnight.
Pasted from a article :
this boy is enormous, and quickly improving. He is, with every passing week, more assured of his place in the squad and showing what he can bring.

Here he was a class apart, scoring a couple, winning it back endlessly, teeing up chances – and an Origi assist – and generally showing why he is thought of so highly.

It has taken a bit of time, but Minamino is arriving and will play a big role for the Reds in 2020/21.

Safawi Rasid from Johor Darul Ta’zim in Malaysia to Portimonense on a one year loan.

Saw the other day that Eldor Shomurodov has transferred to Genoa in Serie A. Not bad.

I don't post about Son's many goals in this thread as I'd be bumping it three times a week but he's scored in the first minute against West Ham. Good going.

Minamino starting for Liverpool against Mabi'ls Midtjylland, off for Salah after an hour just after taking the lead.

and really didn't grab the chance to shine in this game.
He got himself in good position to score twice but couldn't get on target.
Coming off you could tell in his mind he blew the opportunity to shine, I have so much hope for him we need this guy to get in the groove asap now.

Hes more chances to get into rhythm, getting little minutes off the bench for Firmino doesnt help build that groove as it hoped to be.

yes agreed - being an armchair critic is easy whereas jumping into a top flight game with not many runs on the board sure wouldn't be but.......
He's been getting some time compared to others.
It sure would he hard with a completely new front line as this game presented itself.
He played striker with Jota on his right and Origi left, known quantities training with them for a while and I would have expected him to really glide into this even if we have lost our groove of late.
I expect its the mental adjustment - we have Taku joined from Jan 20 @ 25yrs from a pretty good comp for 4yrs, we have Jota @ 23yrs joined Sept 20 with 3/4yrs epl experience and looking like a fit when he's on.
Its obvious that experience really helps a player settle but he also won't be in front of Mane/Firmino/Salah barring injury.
Fingers crossed he proves his worth soon.

he is one of the best in the world atm.  if he was english he would be one of the biggest stars in the PL.

i said it a few years ago in the un popular opinion thread - son is better than kewell was. his stats leave kewell in the dust, and he does it in a much more competitive environment.

Son picking up his third EPL player of the month award.

He is one of the biggest stars in the Premier League now (don’t think his nationality comes into it much at all).

I agree that Son’s Premier League achievements eclipse those of Harry. I don’t, however, think the Premier League now is of a much higher quality than when Harry was there.

Harry played against Thierry Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo. There’s no current PL striker or winger of the quality of either of those two.

He also played against Rudy van Nistelrooy. Imo, in his prime, at least as good as Mohammed Salah. Eric Cantona, too (although he retired soon after H arrived).

While there’s Kevin De Bruyne now, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira were as good as him.

I’m struggling to think of defenders from Harry‘s day as good as Virgil van Dijk (maybe Nemanja Vidic?). But Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell, Kolo Touré, Jaap Stam, John Terry and Ashley Cole were right up there with any current defenders at the level immediately below van Dijk.

And there were rather phenomenal goalkeepers back then, too. Peter Schmeichel, Fabien Barthez, Petr Cech were as good as Alisson.

This argument about the Premier League now being of a far better than when the Golden Generation played is nonsense. While overall standards across lower teams have improved (although even there, the extent to which is questionable) and tactics have improved, the best of the best then tended to be better than the best of the best now.

pretty much agree quickflick on the quality back then to todays Clubs and todays game due to being even more technical and stratergies/shape seems to make even the average defender compared to stand outs far more capable stiffling attacks.....
In saying that Son is a brilliant attacker and it no matter he being Asian he is a big name in the game agreed.
Spurs have had a favourabale draw to date the past 8 games, the only big name played is United and yes they spanked them.
The rest have been mid table or lower Clubs that Spurs should be winners most times.
They finally will be able to show us and their attack what they are capable of the coming 6 games for eg......
City
Chelsea
Arsenal
Palace
LFC
Fox's 20/12.
I'll be curious what Son delivers these games when he's really needed to deliver.

I think Son is an absolute superstar and not suprised he is winning all these accolades.  I AM suprised that he hasnt been picked up by a Chelski or Man City yet.... but I think that is not too far away. He has great pace, seems very composed and balanced on the ball and strong..... delicious first touch and always one eye is looking at the goal.... Id take him at South Melbourne in a heart beat :) 

Son opening the scoring in a 2-0 win against Man City, sending Tottenham to the top of the table, and himself to the top of the EPL goalscorers' list with 9 goals in 9 games.

Bloke is absolutely on fire.