Martin, Chia Fly West
18 year-old Chicken Wings winger Martin Tran accepted a contract with Turkish sixth division club Unrealghost FC today, and will leave for new pastures together with former Carpmael Rovers youth trainee Lo Rong Leng. Together with nine other youngsters, they will compose the core of new head coach Ceylan Çayci's vision.
Tran, who had also received a firm offer from Portuguese side F.C.Sesimbrense, could scarcely have been happier about his S$38000 move. "Many excellent guys that I know of haven't managed to snag a club, so I'm well aware how lucky I am!"
Wings head coach Tham Beng Li remembered Tran as a traditional winger, who was at his best hugging the touchline. "There aren't many who aspire to operate like that nowadays, but Martin did, and he's been one of the best I've seen at it at this level. Had he started a little earlier, he'd surely have hit the headlines."
Tham then bemoaned missing out on signing teenage sensation Choo Kok Xin, who has instead gone to league rivals Club Dinosauria. "We were about to contact him officially, but got there too late. I wouldn't be surprised to see him start for Deinos in a few seasons, the kid was something special!"
It was also the last day in Singapore for Rancher Rabbits graduate Chia Kuan Chao, who transferred to English sixth division club AFC Unorthodox, for a consideration of twenty-six thousand and one dollars. The 17 year-old has alternated between central defence and defensive midfield, and had been the target of an early approach by newly-formed City side Sin-City DDB.
He would soon afterwards receive calls from Espoontorin Eläkeläisurheilijat (Finnish Division Six) and Siha (Dutch Division Six), but would eventually settle on the Unorthodoxes, in some part due to the lack of a language barrier.
As to the additional dollar that his new employers had tacked onto his transfer fee, Chia professed to know nothing about it. "Perhaps it's for the bus fare?"
