Yue Tze Nam

Yue Tze Nam
茹子楠
Yue in 2025
Personal information
Full name Yue Tze Nam
Date of birth (1998-05-12) 12 May 1998
Place of birth Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Position(s)
Team information
Current team
 Meizhou Hakka
Number 29
Youth career
2009–2015 Eastern
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2019 Eastern 4 (0)
2019 Cova Piedade 0 (0)
2019–2022 Eastern 8 (0)
2020–2021 → Resources Capital (loan) 15 (1)
2022– Meizhou Hakka 93 (7)
International career‡
2019 Hong Kong U-23 2 (1)
2018– Hong Kong 39 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 1 May 2025
‡ National team caps and goals as of 18 November 2025

Yue Tze Nam (Chinese: 茹子楠; born 12 May 1998) is a Hong Kong professional footballer who currently plays as a right back for Chinese Super League club Meizhou Hakka and the Hong Kong national team.[2]

Club career

Yue was promoted to the first team of Eastern at the start of the 2017–18 season. He debuted for the club on 29 October 2017 in a Sapling Cup match against Tai Po.[3]

Following an impressive display at the 2019 Guangdong–Hong Kong Cup, Yue signed with Eastern's affiliate club Cova Piedade on 1 February 2019. On 17 July 2019, Eastern announced that Yue would return to the club.[4]

On 15 October 2020, Yue was loaned to Resources Capital.[5]

On 21 August 2022, it was announced that Yue would join Chinese Super League club Meizhou Hakka on a 3.5 year contract.[6] Yue is one of the five players from Hong Kong who are now plying their trade on the Chinese Super League.[7]

International career

Yue was called up by Hong Kong's head coach Gary White in his October 2018 squad.[8] He made his international debut as a 90th minute substitute in a 1–1 draw against Indonesia on 16 October 2018. On 26 December 2023, Yue was named in Hong Kong's squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

Personal life

Yue was introduced to football by his father and began playing at the age of 4 at King George V Memorial Park near his home in Sai Ying Pun. At age 6, he joined the Orca Football Academy for formal training.

He later moved to the youth team 小南國Little Nam Kwok, co-founded by his father, where he regularly participated in training camps and youth tournaments across the region. His teammates during this period included 陳俊樂, 梁諾恆, and 戴偉浚. In 2009, Little Nam Kwok received sponsorship from local professional club Eastern, after which Yue competed in Hong Kong Football Association youth competitions under Eastern's banner.

Yue became a member of the Hong Kong youth representative teams in 2011, playing for various age groups and occasionally serving as captain. However, due to following misguided fitness advice, he developed anorexia nervosa, which caused him to miss Hong Kong's historic qualification for the AFC U-16 Championship finals in 2014.

Yue attended Diocesan Boys' School in Hong Kong, where he captained the school team to victory in the 2015 Hong Kong Inter-School Football Elite Championship while still a Form 4 student.

Before starting his professional career at Eastern in 2017, Yue spent time at Oswestry School in Shropshire, England. He represented the school team in competitive matches. During his three years in the UK, Yue also played for local amateur club Oswestry, earning the Player of the Match award on several occasions. He trained with EFL Championship club Swansea City and attracted interest from their satellite partner, Major League Soccer side D.C. United. He was subsequently introduced by an agent to Welsh Premier League club The New Saints, but the transfer fell through due to work permit issues.

In 2025, Yue stated that playing in Europe remains his ultimate ambition and that he has not given up on the dream.

Early life and education

Yue attended Diocesan Boys' School in Hong Kong, where he captained the school team to victory in the 2015 Hong Kong Inter-School Football Elite Championship while still a Form 4 student.

He later moved to the United Kingdom to study at Oswestry School, representing the school team in competitive matches. During his three years in the UK, Yue also played for local amateur club Oswestry, earning the Player of the Match award on several occasions. He trained with EFL Championship club Swansea City and attracted interest from their satellite partner, Major League Soccer side D.C. United (then known as Washington United). He was subsequently introduced by an agent to Welsh Premier League club The New Saints, but the transfer fell through due to work permit issues.

In 2025, Yue stated that playing in Europe remains his ultimate ambition and that he has not given up on the dream.

Club career

Eastern

In the 2017–18 season, following the revamped Sapling Cup rules requiring each team to field at least two U22 players per match, Eastern's then-vice chairman Lee Kin Wo invited the eligible Yue to return to his parent club and compete in the competition while still completing his studies in the UK. Yue shuttled between England and Hong Kong to balance academics and professional football.

On 29 October 2017, he made his professional debut starting in a Sapling Cup group stage match against Wofoo Tai Po, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–5 defeat.[9] On 14 April 2018, Yue made his Hong Kong Premier League debut against Lee Man FC, starting and playing 70 minutes.

After graduating from secondary school, Yue returned to Hong Kong full-time for the 2018–19 season. Playing primarily as a midfielder, he struggled for minutes amid competition from foreign imports and senior local players. In late 2018, he started against Pegasus but was substituted after 43 minutes due to a poor performance. In February 2019, recommended by Eastern's youth director Wong Chun-yue, Yue trialled with Liga Portugal 2 club C.D. Cova da Piedade, a partner of Eastern. He planned a two-year stint in Portugal but returned to Hong Kong that summer after failing to adapt to life abroad and integrate into the squad.

In the 2019–20 season, Yue played all eight Sapling Cup group stage matches but could not help Eastern advance to the final. Hong Kong football was severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020, with a six-month suspension until September. Eastern won both the Senior Shield and FA Cup that season, giving Yue his first taste of professional silverware, though his involvement in both cup runs was minimal.

Seeking regular playing time, Yue was loaned to newly promoted Resources Capital FC for the 2020–21 season. Apart from the match against Eastern (due to loan terms), he started nearly every league game, scored his first professional league goal in the final fixture, and provided six assists across the campaign.

Returning to Eastern in 2021–22, Yue was converted into a right-back by new head coach Roberto Losada, cementing his place as a starter.

Meizhou Hakka

In July 2022, Yue's impressive performances for Hong Kong at the EAFF Championship caught the eye of Chinese Super League club Meizhou Hakka's general manager Cao Yang. In August 2022, Eastern announced Yue's transfer to Meizhou on a three-and-a-half-year contract. In his debut half-season in the Chinese Super League (2022), Yue made 17 appearances, scoring twice and providing three assists.

He came off the bench in the 15th round against Dalian Pro and started in the 16th round against Hebei, immediately providing two assists—one from a left-footed cross and another after beating multiple defenders.

In the 24th round against Henan, he scored a late winner in stoppage time for his first CSL goal.

In the 32nd round against Changchun Yatai, he netted a spectacular 30-yard strike to secure victory.

In the 2023 season, Yue remained a regular starter, appearing in 27 league matches, scoring once and assisting once. On 12 July 2023, in the 16th round, he assisted Rodrigo Henrique in a 3–1 win over Beijing Guoan. On 8 August 2023, in the 21st round, he scored in a 4–2 victory against Changchun Yatai.

On 3 August 2024, in the 21st round, Yue scored to help Meizhou Hakka defeat Tianjin Jinmen Tiger 3–2.

In the 2025 season, on 29 March in the third round, Yue scored after 1 minute and 28 seconds—the second-fastest goal in Meizhou Hakka's CSL history—to give his side an early lead against Shandong Taishan. On 6 May, in the 11th round, he struck a low drive from the edge of the box in the 85th minute, though Meizhou ultimately lost 1–3 to Shanghai Shenhua. On 4 October, in the rescheduled 24th round, Yue's long-range effort secured a 1–0 win over Qingdao Hainiu, earning three crucial points in the relegation battle. His contract with Meizhou Hakka runs until 31 December 2025.

International career

In October 2018, Yue was called up by newly appointed Hong Kong head coach Gary White for friendlies against Thailand and Indonesia. White praised his energetic and versatile style。

On 16 October 2018, he earned his senior debut as a 90th-minute substitute in a 1–1 away draw with Indonesia. He travelled to Taiwan for the 2019 EAFF Championship second-round qualifiers in November but did not feature.

In January 2019, Yue was selected for the youthful Hong Kong squad at the 41st Guangdong–Hong Kong Cup. He scored a stunning volley from outside the box in the second leg, helping Hong Kong to a 4–0 win and the trophy. In March, he started all three matches for the Hong Kong U23 at the 2020 AFC U-23 Championship qualifiers in Mongolia, scoring against the hosts, though Hong Kong finished with one win, one draw, and one loss. On 11 June 2019, he made his first senior start in a 0–2 friendly loss to Chinese Taipei, playing 78 minutes as a right midfielder. He was not called up for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers or the 2019 EAFF Championship finals.

Yue returned to the senior team in June 2022 for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup third-round qualifiers in India, starting the first two victories before missing the final match against the hosts due to a positive COVID-19 test. Hong Kong qualified as one of the five best runners-up. In July 2022, he started all three matches at the 2022 EAFF Championship finals in Japan.

In 2023, Yue featured in Hong Kong's 2026 World Cup qualifiers. In December, he was named in the final squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

On 30 May 2025, Yue played 45 minutes in a friendly as Hong Kong fell 1–3 to visiting Manchester United, defensively matched against Alejandro Garnacho.[10][11] On 10 June 2025, in Hong Kong's first match at the new Kai Tak Sports Park, Yue started in a 1–0 Asian Cup qualifier victory over India.[12][13]

Career statistics

Club

As of 26 December 2024.[14]
Club Season League Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Eastern 2017–18 Hong Kong Premier League 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3[a] 0 4 0
2018–19 3 0 0 0 0 0 – 2[a] 0 5 0
Total 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 9 0
Cova Piedade 2019–20 LigaPro 0 0 0 0 0 0 – – 0 0
Eastern 2019–20 Hong Kong Premier League 4 0 0 0 1[b] 0 – 8[a] 0 13 0
2021–22 4 0 2 0 – 0 0 7[a] 1 13 1
Total 8 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 15 1 26 1
Resources Capital (loan) 2020–21 Hong Kong Premier League 15 1 – – – 3[a] 0 18 1
Meizhou Hakka 2022 Chinese Super League 17 2 1 0 – – – 18 2
2023 27 1 0 0 – – – 27 1
2024 29 1 0 0 – – – 29 1
Total 73 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 74 4
Career total 100 5 3 0 1 0 0 0 23 1 127 6
  1. ^ a b c d e Appearances in Hong Kong Sapling Cup
  2. ^ Appearances in Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield

International

As of 18 November 2025
National team Year Apps Goals
Hong Kong 2018 1 0
2019 1 0
2020 0 0
2021 0 0
2022 6 0
2023 8 0
2024 12 0
2025 11 0
Total 39 0

Honours

Club

Eastern

International

Hong Kong

References

  1. ^ "Hong Kong, China". www.the-afc.com. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Tze-Nam Yue - Meizhou Hakka midfielder". ESPN. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  3. ^ Tsang, Ngan Ping. "和富大埔5:2大炒東方龍獅". Apple Daily. Retrieved 29 October 2017. (in Chinese)
  4. ^ Yuen, Chi Ho (17 July 2019). "李志堅攜大埔班底投東方龍獅 16新兵加盟佔全隊逾半". HK01. Retrieved 17 July 2019. (in Chinese)
  5. ^ "歡迎晉峰的新加盟球員！". Facebook. Retrieved 15 October 2020. (in Chinese)
  6. ^ "茹子楠轉投中超梅州客家 東方補簽國援朱康銘". Sing Tao. 20 August 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022. (in Chinese)
  7. ^ "Hong Kong defender making most of Chinese Super League shot". South China Morning Post. 25 January 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  8. ^ Chan, Kin-wa (8 October 2018). "Hong Kong coach Gary White picks his final 23 but Dai Wai-tsun fails to make the cut". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  9. ^ 【菁英盃】和富大埔5:2大炒東方龍獅 Archived 2019-11-28 at the Wayback Machine Apple Daily, 29 October 2017
  10. ^ "曼聯訪港｜謝家榮左飛右撲顯身價「早料到很忙」 茹子楠對位加拿祖「唞唔到氣」". 體路 Sportsroad. 30 May 2025. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  11. ^ "香港隊 領先下遭曼聯3比1反勝". on.cc東網 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 30 May 2025. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  12. ^ "亞盃外｜葉鴻輝連續5場國際賽不失 盼啟德成真主場". 體路 Sportsroad. 10 June 2025. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  13. ^ "亞洲盃外圍賽 港隊 1:0 印度". Now 新聞 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 10 June 2025. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  14. ^ Yue Tze Nam at Soccerway
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