Choong Well Equipped
A late bloomer, 18 year-old Choong Tse Teck had been informed that his age was working against him, but he nevertheless snagged a training contract with Belgian sixth divisioners Équipe imaginaire after a month of looking. Having just packed wingback Laurens Van Ninove off for S$200000, head coach Charles Van Hal had room for more budding talent, and Choong would make the cut.
Wings scout Tham Beng Li described Choong as an out-and-out striker with an eye for goal, as evidenced by his two hat-tricks in his final weeks in the academy. "They weren't gimmes either. Tse Teck has had to work hard, what with not having any real standout feature, but that has left him admirably well-rounded by the end."
Teammate Mohd Marzuki Khairul fondly remembered him as a stand-up guy in the dressing room too. "He made training fun. We all wish him all the best for his future career."
