Emilio Estevez (footballer)

Emilio Estevez Tsai (Chinese: 蔡立靖 Tsai Li-ching; born 10 August 1998) is a professional footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Hong Kong Premier League club Tai Po, on loan from Rangers (HKG). Born in Canada, Estevez represents Chinese Taipei internationally.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Estévez and the second or maternal family name is Tsai.
Emilio Estevez
Personal information
Full name Emilio Estevez Tsai
Date of birth (1998-08-10) 10 August 1998
Place of birth Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Tai Po
Number 23
Youth career
Etobicoke Energy
2013–2016 Clarkson SC
2016–2017 Levante
2020–2021 ADO Den Haag
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017 Sheridan Bruins 7 (1)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018 North Mississauga SC 8 (0)
2018 SC Waterloo Region 5 (1)
2019–2020 York9 18 (1)
2020–2021 ADO Den Haag 0 (0)
2021 Ourense CF 0 (0)
2022–2023 Eastern 13 (1)
2023– Rangers (HKG) 0 (0)
2023– → Tai Po (loan) 0 (0)
International career‡
2019– Chinese Taipei 10 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 25 August 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 August 2023

Early life

Estevez began playing youth soccer with the Etobicoke Energy before switching to Clarkson SC in Mississauga as well as playing futsal.[1] In 2016, when he was 18, he spent a year training with the lower teams of La Liga club Levante.[2][3] He then spent a week on trial with Queen's Park Rangers before returning to Canada.[4]

In 2017, he attended Sheridan College, making seven appearances and scoring one goal for the Bruins.[5]

Club career

Canada

In 2018, Estevez played for League1 Ontario side North Mississauga SC, making eight appearances in league play.[6] He also played in the Canadian Soccer League with SC Waterloo Region.[7]

In October 2018, Estevez participated in the Canadian Premier League Open Trials in Toronto, where he was highly rated by scouts.[8][9] On 8 February 2019, Estevez signed with CPL side York9.[9] On 4 May 2019, he made his professional debut as a starter in a match against Cavalry FC and assisted York's lone goal in a 2–1 loss.[10] Estevez scored his first goal for York on 27 July against HFX Wanderers, netting the final goal in a 6–2 victory.[11] On 10 December 2019, it was announced that Estevez had re-signed for the upcoming season.[12]

Europe

On 12 May 2020, he moved to Dutch Eredivisie club ADO Den Haag in a transfer for an initial fee in the range of $100,000 CAD, plus add-ons and a sell on clause.[13] He agreed to a one-year contract with the club, with an option to extend for a further year.[14] Estevez became the first player to move from the Canadian Premier League to a top-flight club in Europe,[15] and was to be the first ever Taiwanese player to ply his trade in the Dutch Eredivisie, and the third overall to play in a top European League.[16][17] He made his first appearance in a pre-season friendly against Almere City FC on 8 August, playing the second half.[18][19] Initially joining the first team, he was moved to begin the season with the U21 side.[20] On 29 January 2021, he and the club agreed to terminate his contract by mutual consent, after he appeared in only two substitute appearances for the U21 side.[21][22]

In 2021, he joined Ourense CF, playing in the Spanish fourth tier Tercera División.[23][24] After departing Spain, he returned to Canada and trained (but did not sign) with his former club York United FC (who had since changed their name from York9 FC).[25]

Asia

In the summer of 2022, he trained with China League One side Guangxi Pingguo.[26]

In October 2022, Estevez signed a contract with Hong Kong Premier League club Eastern.[27][28] He made his debut on 16 October 2022 against Resources Capital.[29] He scored his first goal on 23 October 2022 in a 3–1 Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield match, also against Resources Capital.[30][31] He scored his first league goal in a match against Sham Shui Po on 29 October 2022.[32] In the summer of 2023, the club announced his departure.[33]

On 24 August 2023, Estevez joined league rivals Rangers.[34] Immediately after on 25 August 2023, it was announced that he was loaned to Tai Po for a season.[35]

International career

Born in Toronto to a Spanish father and a Taiwanese Hakka mother, Estevez was eligible to represent Canada, Chinese Taipei or Spain internationally.[1]

In 2018, Estevez was invited to train with the Chinese Taipei national team.[36] In February 2019, shortly after signing for York9, Estevez received another call-up from Chinese Taipei for a friendly against the Solomon Islands, but did not appear in the match due to injury.[36][37][38] He made his debut as a starter in their loss to Australia during 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification on 15 October 2019.[39]

He returned to the national team program in the summer of 2023, to face Thailand in a friendly match.[40]

Personal life

Despite the similarity in name to actor Emilio Estevez, he was actually named after former Real Madrid player Emilio Butragueño.[4]

Career statistics
As of 17 May 2023
Club Statistics
Club Season League National Cup[lower-alpha 1] League Cup[lower-alpha 2] Other[lower-alpha 3] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
North Mississauga SC 2018[6] League1 Ontario 80—??—80
SC Waterloo Region 2018 Canadian Soccer League 51——??51
York9 FC 2019[41] Canadian Premier League 18130——211
ADO Den Haag 2020–21 Eredivisie 0000——00
Ourense CF 2020–21[42] Tercera División 0000—0000
Eastern SC 2022–23[41] Hong Kong Premier League 131203130212
Career totals443513130555
  1. Appearance(s) in the Canadian Championship and Hong Kong FA Cup
  2. Appearance(s) in the Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield
  3. Appearance(s) in the Hong Kong Sapling Cup

References
  1. Platt, Oliver (24 February 2019). "Y9's Estevez Tsai bringing uncommon skillset to CPL". Canadian Premier League. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  2. "Emilio Estévez Tsai: "En Canadá hay mucho talento para el fútbol"" [Emilio Estévez Tsai: «In Canada there is a lot of talent for soccer»]. Toronto Hispano (in Spanish). 22 May 2020. Archived from the original on 5 June 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  3. Molinaro, John (12 May 2020). "York9 FC's Emilio Estevez: 'To go from CPL open trials to Europe is just crazy'". Canadian Premier League. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  4. Davidson, Neil (12 May 2020). "York 9 FC sells attacking midfielder Emilio Estevez Tsai to Dutch club". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 21 July 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  5. "Emilio Estevez 2017". Sheridan College. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  6. "Emilio Estevez 2018 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  7. Adamson, Stan (14 May 2020). "Den Haag Signing Big Score for Emilio Estevez". Canadian Soccer League. Archived from the original on 14 May 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  8. "Five players to watch heading into Day 2 of the #GotGame Open Trials in Toronto". Canadian Premier League. 11 October 2018. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  9. "York9 FC adds Open Trialist Estevez, two others". Canadian Premier League. 8 February 2019. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  10. "Cavalry FC vs. York 9 FC - 4 May 2019". Canadian Premier League. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  11. "HIGHLIGHTS: York9 routs HFX in 8-goal affair". 27 July 2019. Archived from the original on 28 July 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  12. "York9 inks Emilio Estevez and Roger Thompson for 2020 season". Canpl.ca. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  13. Davidson, Neil. "York 9 FC sells midfielder Emilio Estevez to Dutch club ADO Den Haag". Sportsnet. Canadian Press. Archived from the original on 7 June 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  14. "台灣第三人登陸歐洲 21歲新星蔡立靖加盟荷甲海牙" [Taiwanese third person landed in Europe, 21-year-old star Emilio Estevez joins the Netherlands]. Apple Daily (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  15. "York9 FC Transfers Midfielder Emilio Estevez to Dutch Eredivise Side ADO Den Haag". york9fc.canpl.ca. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  16. Xie Mengru (謝孟儒) (12 May 2020). "21歲台西混血小將蔡立靖轉會荷甲ADO海牙 成為台灣第一人" [21-year-old Taiwanese mixed-race teenager Emilio Estevez transfers to Dutch ADO The Hague to become the first person in Taiwan] (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). ETtoday. Archived from the original on 21 July 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  17. Li Hongbin(李弘斌) (12 May 2020). "混血國腳蔡立靖 加盟荷甲海牙隊！" [Emilio Estevez, a mixed-race international, joins the Netherlands team in the Netherlands!] (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). China Times. Archived from the original on 27 May 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  18. "ADO Den Haag Boekt Oefenzege op Almere City FC" [ADO Den Haag Registers Exhibition Victory at Almere City FC]. ADO Den Haag (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  19. Henderson, Mark (12 August 2020). "Emilio Estevez plays first game for Ado Den Haag". From the Tofu Bowl. Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  20. "Onder 21 Tankt Vertrouwen met Vijfklapper in Breda" [Under 21 Confidence Fuels with Five-Topper in Breda]. ADO Den Haag (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  21. "Andrei Ratiu, Nikos Karelis en Emilio Estevez Tsai Vertrekken" [Andrei Ratiu, Nikos Karelis and Emilio Estevez Tsai Leave]. ADO Den Haag (in Dutch). 29 January 2021. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  22. Li-Fong, Brandon (1 February 2021). "荷甲ADO海牙宣布台灣蔡立靖離隊，中國李嗣鎔入隊，那Emilio的下一步是？" [Emilio Out, Sirong In - Eredivisie ADO Den Haag announced that Taiwan’s Emilio Estevez has left the team and China’s Li Sirong has joined the team. What is Emilio’s next step?]. Sports Vision (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 7 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  23. Garrote, Pepe (2 February 2021). "Fichajes de lujo en el Ourense CF" [Luxury Transfers at Ourense CF]. La Region (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  24. Jacques, John (3 February 2021). "Former York United Midfielder Emilio Estevez Lands In Spanish Fourth Tier". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  25. Jacques, John (12 August 2021). "Emilio Estevez Is Training With York United". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  26. "前几年归化的年轻华裔球员们纷纷失业，又有两人遭到中甲球队放弃" [The young Chinese players who were naturalized in the past few years lost their jobs one after another, and two more were abandoned by the Chinese League One team]. 易读 (in Chinese). 14 August 2022.
  27. "東方簽中華台北混血中場蔡立靖 曾為荷甲梯隊上陣" [Oriental signed Chinese Taipei mixed-race midfielder Cai Lijing once played for the Eredivisie echelon]. 明報網站 (Ming Pao) (in Chinese). 7 October 2022. Archived from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  28. Jacques, John (7 October 2022). "Former Nine Stripe Estevez-Tsai Lands In Hong Kong Premier League". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on 14 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  29. "港超聯東方主場遇晉峰鬥攻鬥入波" [The Hong Kong Premier League's Eastern home encounters RCFC's fighting and entering the wave!]. on.cc (in Chinese). 16 October 2022. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  30. "高級組銀牌 - 蔡立靖取加盟首入球 東方挫晉峰晉四強" [Silver Medal in the Senior Shield - Estevez joins the first goal, defeats RCFC and advances to the semi-finals]. Sing Tao Daily (in Chinese). 23 October 2022.
  31. "高級組銀牌　蔡立靖「開齋」：要幫球隊捧盃" [Senior Shield silver medalist Estevez "break the fast": to help the team win the cup]. on.cc. 23 October 2022. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  32. "港超聯 孫銘謙起孖 東方4球挫深水埗" [Hong Kong Premier League Sun Ming Him hits the East with 4 goals and defeats Sham Shui Po]. on.cc (in Chinese). 29 October 2022. Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  33. Ruyu, Yan (31 May 2023). "蔡立靖離開港超東方龍獅 加入中華男足勢必全力求表現" [Cai Lijing leaves the Hong Kong Super League Oriental Dragons and Lions to join the Chinese Men's Football Team and will definitely strive for performance]. Yahoo Sports (in Chinese). Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  34. Ziheng, Qiu (25 August 2023). "標準流浪先簽後租 蔡立靖前往和富大埔 - GoGoal 勁球網" [Standard Wanderers first signed and then rented Cai Lijing to Wofoo Tai Po]. gogoal.com.tw (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  35. "港超聯 大埔借入標準流浪中場蔡立靖" [Hong Kong Super League Tai Po borrows standard wandering midfielder Cai Lijing]. on.cc東網 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 25 August 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  36. Armen Bedakian (19 February 2019). "York9's Emilio Estevez called up to Chinese Taipei national team". Canadian Premier League. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  37. Nathan Verbaan (8 April 2019). "York9 FC – Roster Round-Up #3 – Midfielders (MF)". Northern Starting XI. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  38. Jacques, John (8 October 2019). "Emilio Estevez Gets Chinese Taipei Call Ahead Of Australia Bout". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  39. McNicol, Andrew (12 June 2020). "'Taiwan's Eden Hazard' Emilio Estevez Tsai makes history with move to Europe's top flight". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  40. "台西混血蔡立靖睽違4年重返中華男足 拚下一張旅外合約 | Go Goal 勁球網" [Taiwanese-Western mixed-race Cai Lijing returned to the Chinese men's football team after 4 years to fight for a contract abroad]. LINE TODAY (in Traditional Chinese). 15 June 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  41. Emilio Estevez at Soccerway
  42. "Emilio Estevez Tsai Stats". La Preferente.
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