Butt to play in Hong Kong

Former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt has come out of retirement to pull on the boots for South China in the Hong Kong first division.

The 35-year-old Englishman, who was capped 39 times for his country, will make his debut in a trial for the reigning Hong Kong champions on Tuesday night against TSW Pegasus, and said he would decide soon whether he would make the move permanent.

“This is what I was looking for – something new and exciting,” Butt told the South China Morning Post.

“I have played 18 seasons in the Premiership and having done that, I wanted a new challenge.”

Butt retired in May after a six-year spell with Newcastle United in which he never hit the heights of his glory days with Manchester United.

South China chairman Steven Lo Kit-sing said he hoped Butt would decide to stay on.

“He has come and we hope he will be with us for a long time,” he said.

“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.”

“I don’t know why other clubs don’t follow suit and get players who can hopefully take them into the big leagues.”