Timmy Ma: Breaking through bottlenecks and delivering impressive performances, aiming to establish a solid foundation before considering playing abroad

Eastern Football Club has been using a number of youth academy products this season, and some of them have shown remarkable performances. Winger Timmy Ma has repeatedly played a key role in securing victories, making him one of the young players who have attracted the attention of fans and media this local football season.

Since he was young, Timmy Ma has been very active and had a special passion for football. He started attending football training classes at the age of 5, and when he was 8, his family took him to Kitchee Football School for further training. At the age of 12, he transferred to Chelsea Football School.

From a young age, Timmy had a strong imagination and enthusiasm for football. He already had a goal of wanting to develop abroad. At the age of 13, while most people were adjusting to secondary school life, he received an opportunity to study and play in Portugal with the support of his family. He joined a local team there for training and friendly matches. He said, “At that time, I had a naive idea that going to Europe would give me opportunities to join a club, but things were not that easy. Besides, I’m more introverted and rarely take the initiative to communicate with my teammates.”

Timmy received training at two Portuguese clubs during his early years (as provided by the interviewee).

Portugal

Life in Portugal was not easy for Timmy. A year later, coincidentally, Eastern Football Club launched the “Project E” initiative. Vice Director Sze Tsz Man recognized Timmy’s potential and, being in Portugal at the time, asked him and his family if they were interested in pursuing a career with a more professional club, with the support of Eastern. After Timmy and his family agreed, they transferred to another Portuguese club, Loures, to continue his football journey.

During his four years in Portugal, Timmy returned to Hong Kong in 2020 due to the pandemic. During this time, he trained with both the senior team and the youth team of Eastern. Soon after, due to an injury to a U22 player in the first team, Eastern’s senior management officially promoted Timmy to the first team. He said, “At that time, I did consider going back to Portugal. Although I didn’t have many opportunities to play there, I also had limited playing time at Eastern. But being able to train with the first team, especially with experienced and skilled players like Yip Hong Fai, Leung Chun Pong, and Lam Ka Wai, was an honor.”

During his time in the youth team, Timmy primarily played as an attacking midfielder, but later on, under the guidance of Coach Lee Chi Kin (Coach Kin) and later Coach Rubido (Chino), he was positioned as a winger. He said, “Jumping from youth matches to adult professional matches felt different. The passing in professional matches is much faster and more precise. At that time, I was only 16 years old and my body hadn’t fully developed yet. But in training, I had to face players of the caliber of Fernando and Everton. Speed was not my strong point, and it took me a long time to adapt to the physicality and intensity of professional matches. Even now, I haven’t completely overcome it, but I have been gradually improving.”

Bottleneck

However, Timmy quickly became one of the young players heavily relied upon by the team. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the first two seasons of his professional career were incomplete. Nevertheless, he still had many opportunities to play in various competitions. One of the most memorable matches was during the 2021-22 season when he contributed a goal and an assist against Lee Man in the AFC Cup. However, in the 2022-23 season, Timmy encountered a bottleneck in his professional career. He said, “I always felt very nervous every time I stepped onto the field. I couldn’t perform confidently and lacked confidence in my passing. Every professional player encounters these bottlenecks that inexplicably appear, and overcoming them is the most challenging part. You have to rely on your own strength to resolve them. At the same time, there were significant changes happening in my family, and I gradually realized that I couldn’t be afraid to take risks in everything I do.”

In 2022, during the AFC Cup match against Lee Man in Thailand, Timmy contributed with one goal and one assist for the team (Eastern).

With the support of his mentor, the Youth Training Director and Coach, Wong Chun Yu, head coach Chino, and the entire team, Timmy managed to overcome this difficult period. At the beginning of this season, he was assigned to Liaoning Shenyang Dongjin in the China League One, which not only broadened his horizons but also helped him mature mentally. He said, “If I don’t leave a lasting impression with myself in the games, I will definitely regret it in the future. When I first started playing professionally, I only focused on the present. If I made a mistake, I would be scolded, then I kept replaying it in my mind, and then I made more mistakes… Now I understand that making mistakes is normal and inevitable, and I have better choices to deal with these situations.”

In his debut professional season, although the team won the championship, Timmy’s involvement was not high. However, this year he has become a key player in the team. Although he hasn’t won a championship yet, his commitment and dedication to the game and the team have changed significantly. He said, “Before, I felt like the game didn’t matter to me. But this year, I have to take on an important role, and I have become more outgoing and familiar with my teammates. I really want to help the team strive for glory. I have also worked on my weaknesses and improved my strength, technique, and other aspects through training. Of course, I am also grateful to Chino for giving me many opportunities and confidence, allowing me to play with courage.”

Rising Generation

In the quarter-finals of the current Senior Shield, Timmy played crucial roles in the matches against Kitchee and Eastern Long Lions, earning him the title of the Best Player of the Match on both occasions. His outstanding performances have made him a strong contender for the Best Young Player of the Year award, and he has even been hailed by the media as the successor to Sun Ming Him. Timmy humbly responded to these comparisons, stating, “Sun is an excellent footballer, and we have different positions and styles, so there’s no need for comparisons. As for the awards, I don’t have any specific thoughts about them. I can’t control whether others choose me or not. I can only focus on doing my best. I consider myself fortunate to have more opportunities than many players of the same age. However, there are many young players in this team, and I can see others coming up behind me. Even if I am still a starter, they perform well when given the chance. If you can’t maintain your level, you’ll find yourself on the bench next. So, I have to continue showing the coach my performance. Of course, this competition is healthy. As a young player, mentality is crucial. I also want to learn from my teammates like Ng Yu Hei, Anson Wong, and Jessy Yu, their confidence and attitude towards the game.”

In a struggling football market, many young players choose to balance their careers by working part-time jobs while being involved in both campus life and football. Knowing that he wasn’t suited for academic studies, Timmy decided to fully dedicate himself to professional football after completing the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE). He said, “I did worry about not being able to continue playing, especially considering the significant changes in the football market every year. I can only take it step by step. Of course, in the long run, I do want to play abroad, but not at the moment. I feel that I’m not mature enough yet. I want to establish a solid foundation in the Hong Kong Premier League first and then consider a move abroad after 1-2 seasons.”