Five For Five
All was revealed on Saturday night as the club proclaimed that they had brought former youth diamond
Zhao Jing Wei back from local giants Arrogancae, for an upfront sum of S$5.85 million. Actually, some outlets had guessed at the late move, with one even reporting Zhao's desire to return, but the entire business was conducted so quietly that it was only revealed after the contract was signed.
Zhao had always made it a point to be in the thick of things, as he began his career with a busy 34 matches for the Chicken Wings, just four off the appearance record, scoring nine goals. A glittering future was forecast for him, and he wasted no time in embarking on it, hopping to now-defunct Woxingwosu FC to get regular games the moment he was eligible.
A few seasons later, the matured Zhao was recruited by an Arrogancae side entering the peak of their powers, and he wound up starting against the Birds five times, winning two of those games. That was however barely a footnote as he captured an S-League title, the Singapore Cup, as well as two Division Two titles, which will make him the most successful player in Grilled's squad in terms of domestic honours, by some distance.
This experience of winning is what
Niculae Stanca hopes will rub off on his teammates. "I brought Zhao back not only because he was an old boy, it was more due to what he has achieved. He fully deserves to be coveted for that alone, twice over."
That was not empty talk either, as reports after the fact showed that Arrogancae had been in discussions with K-League side FCStorm about Zhao's situation. Next up for the playmaker was Swedish club Inter Rulezz, who are in the fourth division of one of the world's top leagues, and Swiss Division Six team West Sherman Rangers then came in hoping to make him their star turn.
Apart from all this foreign interest, a last-minute bid was then placed by former II.2 opponents Phantasm Hotspurs, now in II.1, but Grilled were resolved to bring their man back, their warchest bulging for once with the proceeds from the S$6.6 million sale of Seytek Djekshenkulov.
The similarities between the two were not lost on supporters, with Djekshenkulov being Zhao's elder by exactly one day, and both of them sporting the Number Five jersey, Zhao wearing it during his very productive time with Arrogancae. Still, they are hardly identical, with Djekshenkulov more in the all-action mould, while Zhao tends to dwell a bit more on the ball and figure things out, a quality that the Birds could do with more of.
The man himself much preferred to let his feet do the talking, and he excused himself from the press conference after a few short answers. "I might say more tomorrow, and there might be more to say, if Stanca sees fit to pick me to start." Zhao smiled.
In an aside to the main event, 19 year-old forward Hwang Leong Tong got his free transfer to German Division Nine side Bosborus FC, who are in the middle of recruiting an international cast of novices. Caught up in the excitement, Hwang is now dreaming big. "Golden Boot, here I come!"
