Dai Wai Tsun

Dai Wai Tsun (traditional Chinese: 戴偉浚; simplified Chinese: 戴伟浚; Cantonese Yale: Daai Wáihjeun; pinyin: Dài Wěijùn; born 24 July 1999), also known as Tsun Dai in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong and as Dai Weijun in Mainland China, is a Hong Kong-born Chinese professional footballer who currently plays for Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua and the China national team.

In this Chinese name, the family name is Dai.
Dai Wai Tsun
Personal information
Full name Dai Wai Tsun
Date of birth (1999-07-24) 24 July 1999
Place of birth Hong Kong
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Central midfielder, Winger
Team information
Current team
 Shanghai Shenhua
Number 9
Youth career
2007–2009 Eastern
2009–2012 Kitchee
2012–2016 Reading
2016–2017 Bury
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2018 Bury 8 (0)
2018–2019 Oxford United 0 (0)
2019 → Jong FC Utrecht (loan) 12 (0)
2019–2020 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 (0)
2020–2023 Shenzhen F.C. 56 (6)
2023– Shanghai Shenhua 2 (0)
International career‡
2012–2013 Hong Kong U15
2018 China U20
2022– China 7 (0)
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese戴偉浚
Simplified Chinese戴伟浚
Cantonese YaleDaai Wáihjeun
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 7 July 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 27 July 2022

Early life

Dai was born in Hong Kong and was inspired to play football by his father who once played for Hong Kong's youth teams. He started playing the sport at the young age of 4, joining Eastern's youth system for a chance to become an international footballer. Dai later joined the Hong Kong Barcelona Football academy and trained with players born in 2000.

At first, he played in a defensive midfield position and was placed under the spotlight, and was often the captain as he showed his leadership skills on the pitch. He has participated in youth matches with Hong Kong Barcelona Football Academy in Spain and Poland, and his father's support was a major factor of his youth success compared with his peers. He moved to England for a chance to get training of a higher quality,[1] and joined the Reading youth team and enrolled in Hall Grove School and then Bradfield College.

He was also called up multiple times to the Hong Kong youth squads while in England, and played in multiple international youth competitions.[2]

Career

Bury

After leaving Reading, he was invited by Bury for a trial and joined the Bury youth system under the name Tsun Dai.

2017–18 season

After the 2016–17 season, Bury announced that 11 players were leaving the club, but gave Dai his first professional contract and the number 25 shirt, making him the second Hong Kong footballer to sign a contract with an English team.[3] His first game for Bury was a pre-season start against Sunderland on 8 July 2017. He helped build the second goal for Bury that allowed them to lead 2–1 before half-time, albeit not being credited with an assist. He was substituted off in the second half, and the match ended 3–2 to Sunderland. Bury manager, Lee Clark, stated that he was satisfied with Dai's performance and that he had vast potential.[4]

On 16 July, he played his second game coming off the bench against Huddersfield Town and earned a lot of compliment for his outstanding performance. His third match and second start for Bury was against Macclesfield, and played the entire match. Although the team lost 1–0, Dai's performance further improved and impressed both the coaches of Bury and the opponent. He received a 3-year extension to his contract, which would now last to 2020.[5]

Dai made his first league appearance for Bury on 5 August 2017 in a 1–0 win against Walsall, coming on as a substitute in the 60th minute.[6] In doing so, he became the second Hong Kong footballer to appear in an English professional match and the first to do so in 55 years.[7] Dai made his first competitive start for Bury five days later in a 1–0 defeat to Sunderland in the First Round of 2017–18 EFL Cup.[8]

Dai scored his first career goal for Bury as a consolation goal during their EFL Trophy tie against Fleetwood Town.[9]

Oxford United

Dai signed for Oxford United on 9 August 2018, for an undisclosed fee, on a two-year contract.[10] He was sold to Wolverhampton Wanderers a year later, again for an undisclosed fee, without having made a first-team appearance for Oxford.[11]

FC Utrecht

On 30 January 2019, Dai was loaned to FC Utrecht until the end of the season.[12] He made 12 appearances for the club in the second half of the season and recorded two assists.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

On 10 July 2019, Dai joined Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers Under-23s for an undisclosed fee, signing a two-year contract with the option of a further 12 months.[13] He made his under-23 debut as an 87th-minute substitute in a Premier League 2 fixture against Brighton under-23s on 13 August 2019.

Shenzhen F.C.

On 16 July 2020, Wolverhampton Wanderers announced that Dai had completed a move to Chinese Super League side Shenzhen F.C.[14] He played in the first two matches of the 2020 CSL, starting in the first game and came on as substitute in the second. On 29 August 2020, Dai scored the first goal for the club in a 2-0 win against Guangzhou R&F. He was entangled in an arbitration of contract dispute with the club and didn't play for them during the first half of the 2023 Chinese Super League season.[15]

Shanghai Shenhua

On 28 June 2023, Dai joined fellow Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua on a free transfer. [16]

International career

Dai held both a Hong Kong and British passport, and was therefore eligible to represent Hong Kong or England internationally.[17]

In September 2018, Dai was called up to the preliminary squad of the Hong Kong national team.[18] Although it was initially reported that he had declined a Hong Kong call up due to injury, he later accepted a call up during the same window to a China under-21 training camp led by Guus Hiddink in Amsterdam, Netherlands.[19] Two weeks after the camp, Hong Kong manager Gary White once again named Dai in his preliminary squad for the 2019 EAFF E-1 Football Championship qualifiers.[20] Following good performances in the Chinese Super League, it was reported in August 2020 that Shenzhen F.C. had begun assisting Dai with his (mainland) Chinese naturalisation application, and that Dai himself wanted to be called up for the Chinese team.[21] In September 2020, he admitted in an interview that "if I had the opportunity to represent the Chinese team, I would be very honoured. My application is being processed and the club are helping me."[22] [23]

On 27 January 2022, Dai made his international debut for China against Japan in the 2022 World Cup qualifier as a substitute at the 64th minute.

Personal life

His father is also an avid football supporter and has played for youth teams in Hong Kong, and goes to support his son every single match. His mother, who works in Hong Kong, visits them every few months. As Dai has played for Eastern's youth squad and has supported them since a young age, he has stated that if he ever has the chance to return to play in his native Hong Kong he would only play for Eastern.[24]

Dai is multilingual. He can understand and speak Cantonese, Mandarin, and English, having conducted interviews in all 3 languages in the past.[25][26][27]

Career statistics

Club

Statistics accurate as of match played 7 July 2023.[28]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Bury 2017–18 EFL League One 800010—2[lower-alpha 1]1111
Oxford United 2018–19 000000—0[lower-alpha 1]000
Jong FC Utrecht (loan) 2018–19 Eerste Divisie 120————120
Wolverhampton Wanderers U-23 2019–20 PL 2, Div 1 50————50
Wolverhampton Wanderers U-21 2019–20 PL PDL, National Div 00———2[lower-alpha 1]121
Shenzhen FC 2020 Chinese Super League 17100———171
2021 19340———233
2022 20200———202
Total 56640———606
Shanghai Shenhua 2023 Chinese Super League 200000—0020
Career total 83640100042928
  1. Appearances in EFL Trophy

International statistics
National team
YearAppsGoals
202270
Total70

References
  1. 【港人踢英甲】港版足球小將月薪八千 戴偉浚誓圓父子英超夢 蘋果日報 18 June 2017 (in Chinese)
  2. 港產足球小將戴偉浚獲英甲貝利職業合約 Upower 18 June 2017 (in Chinese)
  3. 2016/17 Retained List Bury Football Club 5 May 2017
  4. 【香港勁揪】17歲港足球小將踢英甲貝利正選 友賽「黑貓」獲教練大讚 蘋果日報 8 July 2017 (in Chinese)
  5. 【英甲】港將戴偉浚獲貝利續約3年　友賽踢足全場不欺場 香港01 19 July 2017 (in Chinese)
  6. "Report: Shakers make the perfect start". Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  7. Porteous, James. "A future star? Hong Kong teenager Dai Wai-tsun looks set to make debut in English professional football after impressing in preseason friendly". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  8. "Match Report". Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  9. "Do or Dai: Tsun scores first professional goal for Bury but struggling Shakers crash out of Checkatrade Trophy". South China Morning Post. 10 January 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  10. "Tsun Dai Joins The U's". Oxford United F.C. 9 August 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  11. Edwards, Mark (10 July 2019). "Oxford United midfielder Tsun Dai joins Wolverhampton Wanderers for undisclosed fee". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  12. "Tsun Dai Joins Utrecht On Loan". Oxford United F.C. 30 January 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  13. "Tsun Dai completes Wolves move". Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  14. "Tsun Dai earns move to Shenzhen F.C." Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 16 July 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  15. "中超熱話｜戴偉浚欠薪案獲判勝訴　自由身轉會依然有懸念". 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 2023-05-26. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  16. "官方：上海申花签下国脚戴伟浚，他将身披9号球衣". Dongqiudi. 28 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  17. "New Deal for Tsun Dai". Bury FC. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  18. "Tsun Dai Gets Hong Kong Call Up". Oxford United F.C. 26 September 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  19. Chan, Kin-wa. "The mystery of Tsun Dai: Dropped by Hong Kong but training with China Under-21s?". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  20. White, Jonathan. "Gary White names preliminary Hong Kong squad for crucial EAFF play-off against Taiwan, North Korea and Mongolia". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  21. 新浪新聞 2020-08-24
  22. 写给21岁的戴伟浚：父与子的守望 新浪微博 2020-09-04
  23. "正在辦理轉籍手續 戴偉浚:為中國上陣是榮幸". 蘋果日報. 2020-09-04. Archived from the original on 2021-06-21. Retrieved 2020-09-05.
  24. "戴偉浚 之 低調外流". Fanpiece. Retrieved 16 July 2017. (in Chinese)
  25. 戴偉浚再談因傷拒港徵召：「中國足協早已派人到英國考察我。」, retrieved 2021-03-29
  26. Youth: Tsun Dai, retrieved 2021-03-29
  27. 戴偉浚回應會否拿中國護照加入中國隊：「不回答, 香港人現在不太高興。」, retrieved 2021-03-29
  28. Tsun Dai at worldfootball.net. Retrieved 2021-01-31
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