Birds trainee Chee Kok Kang embarked on a free transfer to Swedish Division Five club 1894 Gårda today, after reportedly turning down an offer from Tian Yonghang to try and fight for a place in the senior rotation. Chee explained it as due to Gårda's Hungarian head coach Bertalan Boros guaranteeing playing time, and good feedback from Frank Mikaelsson, who had boosted his market value appreciably after a mere six weeks there.

A natural defensive midfielder, Chee had established a solid reputation in the Wings academy since joining, but had all too often been in direct competition with Hwang Teck Fu there. Given that Aw Keng Chuan had already dislodged the likes of Lau Chu Soon, it wasn't hard to infer that it would be an uphill struggle for Chee to battle his way in.

Tian would support his choice, and urged him to keep up with his can-do attitude, with Gårda. "The lad has been a coach's dream, so I hear, and he has the basics down pat. Some see Chee as better as a classic central defender, but it's really up to him how he wants to take his career."

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