Butt to make Hong Kong debut
Reuters - Tuesday 30 November 2010, 05:56
HONG KONG - Former Manchester United and
England midfielder Nicky Butt will pull on a red shirt once
more on Tuesday night - this time for South China in Hong Kong.
The 35-year-old said he would decide "within the next
couple of days" whether to stay on into the new year and help
South China in their AFC Cup campaign.
"This is what I was looking for - something new and
exciting," said Butt, who retired when he left Newcastle
United at the end of May.
"I have played 18 seasons in the Premiership and having
done that, I wanted a new challenge," he told the South China
Morning Post.
South China's chairman Steven Lo Kit-sing said he was
thrilled to have Butt turn out, and that he hoped the former
international bring the crowds to his club.
"He has come and we hope he will be with us for a long
time," he told reporters.
"It's not a gamble. We will be playing three games at home
(in the AFC Cup) next year and if we draw a capacity crowd of
40,000 at the Hong Kong Stadium we can expect to break even.
"An average ticket for a game is HK$60 ($7.726) and, if we
have a full house, we should get ticket revenue of around HK$2
million per game, which is enough to cover his costs.
"I don't know why other clubs don't follow suit and get
players who can hopefully take them into the big leagues."
Butt and South China face TSW Pegasus in the Hong Kong
First Division on Tuesday night.