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When ‘Jesus’ Came to Hong Kong: The Remarkable Story of the First European Football Star in Asia
£13.60£15.20 (-11%)
It took balls to go to Hong Kong. When Scottish footballer Derek Currie was made an offer to travel to Hong Kong to play against the one sportsman he had dreamed of meeting on the field, he couldn’t say no. From apprentice printer in Glasgow to playing football against Pelé in the Far East, singing with Stevie Wonder and shadow-boxing with Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Currie enjoyed a magical life as one of the first three European professional footballers in Asia. He was quickly nicknamed ‘Jesus’ by Hong Kong football fans. Here he traces the early development of professional football in the then-British colony through his own career – the games, the places and the characters he met along the way – as well as a season playing for the San Antonio Thunder in Texas. Given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he didn’t think twice – traveling 6,000 miles across the world to pursue his dream of professional football. In the years that followed, he met international stars from music, showbusiness, boxing and horse racing. Here in words and pictures is his amazing story – if not for the photographic proof you could be forgiven for thinking it might be a fairy tale! It isn’t.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Blacksmith Books (20 Mar. 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 404 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 988767480X |
| ISBN-13 | 978-9887674801 |
| Dimensions | 13.97 x 3.05 x 21.59 cm |
by DJN
A complete who’s who of famous superstars. I had no idea how a petite Glasswegian footballer ended up having a more cross cultural footballing impact than any of his more famous contemparies. Surely an MBE is more appropriate than a scotland Cap.
A hidden gem of a book. I would love to have a beer with him someday.
by ALAN R.
As sporting memoirs go, a few paras in it’s clear this is no formulaic ghost job. An entertaining and very readable book that weaves through a young Glaswegian’s footballing odyssey in 1970s Hong Kong. Some almost unbelievable – but true – stories also provide a picture of Hong Kong at the time and the emergence of Asian football onto the world stage. Hong Kong fans made Currie a local hero, and his reciprocal affection for them and the city shines through. You will LOL. Highly recommended.
by catholic reader
It might be a bit ‘niche’ in time and in place, but this is such an enjoyable read that one doesn’t have to be an aging Hong Kong football follower to enjoy it (I would think). The author still seems surprised and grateful for his ‘luck’ in his life, the people he met and the adventures he has had – and in this book gives an easy to read, enjoyable and relatively light hearted account on Hong Kong, and its sport from the 1970s up to the 21st century. It could easily have been a ‘name dropping’ exercise, but instead the author’s writing style, and his self depreciating sense of humour make it a pleasure to read – he even carries off toe curling ‘one liners’ and puns to good effect. He comes across as being as as sharp of mind as he was in the penalty box – and he, by all accounts, remains very much a local , cross cultural hero in Hong Kong. Just to be read and enjoyed, Carlsberg maybe optional – a splendid account of a seemingly not far gone past.
by Charlotte Patterson
An utterly captivating book. Derek Currie has lived an incredible life (although not without hardship and struggle I’m sure) and the degree of detail in his writing transports the reader to Hong Kong. Experiencing every moment, tale and story. The plethora of people Currie has met, his experiences and of course his time playing football in Hong Kong are so intriguing. I only wish I could have witnessed watching him play. But I feel as though I have seen him vicariously through the descriptive writing and first person accounts.