We spoke to Ashley Westwood, 48, coach of the Hong Kong national team, ahead of the game against Premier League giants Manchester United on Friday. The match is part of the club’s post-season tour. Westwood, 48, was on United's books as a young professional.
How does a Manchester lad end up coaching Hong Kong?
There are always different routes. If you want to go from Manchester to London, there are different ways of doing that, and coaching is the same. Arsene Wenger ended up at Arsenal after going around the houses and being in Japan. Ange Postecoglou ended up at Tottenham Hotspur via Australia, Japan and Scotland.
I started in England as a player and played in the top five divisions, then I became a coach in England at Portsmouth, Blackpool and Blackburn, then went to India, where I won the league twice. Malaysia followed, then the Afghanistan national team, and then Hong Kong, where I am now. I had national team experience, which was one of the criteria, the others were experience in Asia and being successful. That’s what the Hong Kong football federation wanted.
How has it been?
Results have been good. When I arrived, Hong Kong were ranked 159 in the world and had lost seven of the previous nine, drawing two. Things had been bad for five years, and sometimes it’s hard to stop a downward trajectory, but we’ve managed it.
We won seven games on the trot and drew our last game. We’ve kept six clean sheets in those eight.
On a personal level, it has been about adjusting to living in a different part of the world.
What’s it like coaching Hong Kong?
Challenging. In a lot of national team jobs you have players scattered around the world who are eligible to play for your country. You can find new talent.
For Hong Kong, the rules are that you must be in the country for seven years before you can apply for permanent residency. Once you have that, you can apply for a passport, and you must surrender any other passport that you have. So, you must have proper ties to a country, which is how it should be.
Most of our players, probably 65%, play in the Hong Kong league. Then we have nine or 10 players who are in the Chinese Super League or first division. One, left-back Shinichi Chan, is 22 and starting every week for one of the best teams in China.
So we’re reliant on the Hong Kong Premier League doing well. There are only nine teams at present, and they play each other three times. I’d like to see more teams and competition, but they do the best they can in a small, densely populated part of the world.
You have Asia Cup games against India, Japan, South Korea and China coming up ...
India were ranked 96 in the world not so long ago, but have dropped, while we’re now 153. Japan, South Korea and China are major Asian football powers who’ve played regularly in World Cup finals. But the reason we’ll play against them is because we were successful in our three Asia Cup pre-qualifiers, winning the East Asia Cup pre-qualifiers. It’s not normal for Hong Kong and it’s our reward, and I can’t wait. As a coach you want to be involved in these games and test yourself against the best in the region so see how good you are.
How do you feel about playing Manchester United?
Proud. I was at United as a young footballer in the Class of ’93. I won the FA Youth Cup at United and had a great time there before making my way at other clubs.
I don’t want to feel overawed because I’m not. I feel like that’s where I want to be every week, that I should be aiming to be the best coach I can be against the best teams possible. I’m sure that if you’d interviewed Graham Potter 10 years ago when he was working in Scandinavia, he might have had the same kind of feelings. But he did so well that he got to the Premier League.
I kept in contact with people from United. I speak to Sir Alex Ferguson a couple of times per year. He’s always incredibly helpful to me, and we have a nice chat – even though I left under a cloud because he wanted me to stay and I thought I knew best and wanted to play first-team football. He laughs about that now. He’s a great man.
How did it end at United?
I played lots of reserve games and was making progress. Sir Alex Ferguson asked to see me and praised my progress. He said he wanted to offer me a new two-year deal. I was on £210 a week. The new deal was £275. I replied: “I can’t be doing that well if the increase is only £65.”
Ferguson was doing things the right way, but I was telling him that I needed to buy a car to get to training. I told him that I needed a £5,000 signing-on fee to buy a car. He laughed and said, "Get in my team and I’ll look after you." I replied: "How am I going to get in your team? When there’s a flu epidemic?"
My mentality was ‘I’ll go somewhere else and teach him.’ I didn’t have an agent, just a demon in the back of my head. A demon telling me the wrong information.
“I’ll leave!” I told Fergie.
“There’s the door,” he said.
“Can I go for free?” I replied.
“No chance,” he said. “You’re a Man Utd reserve team player. It’s £75,000.”
“Well, is that not going to make it hard for me?”
“Yes, of course it is! Who’s going to pay that for you?”
That made me want to prove him wrong.
Crewe were interested in me. They were happy to buy me for £75,000. I went back to see Ferguson. He already knew about Crewe’s interest. He knew everything. I still thought that he’d agree to a signing-on fee and I’d stay at United, but because I was pig-headed, I didn’t ask him. So I left the room again. Crewe then told me that United wanted £500,000 for me. A tribunal was needed to sort out my transfer.
Looking back, even though I was 10th-choice defender I was still ahead of Wes Brown – who I expect to see this week in Hong Kong as he works for United. But I hate ‘what ifs’. There are loads of people in football pinning the blame for not making it on someone else. Wes had a great career at United, and I went to Crewe.
Looking back, I probably needed Alex Ferguson to say: ‘Come on, son, trust me’. But he was a tougher man then, and he was right to be tough.
Years later, when I was a manager myself, I went to Sir Alex for advice about a problem I had with a player. I texted him on the off chance. He called me back from a cab in New York. He told me to explain honestly to the player why I was leaving him out. I did that and the player understood. It helped that I told him the advice had come from Sir Alex.
I’ve gone to him several times since and appreciated his help every time. And I’ll do my best this week. United are sending a strong team to Hong Kong, and we’re expecting a big crowd. There will be full application from both sides, and I hope fans will be entertained.
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The%20specs
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Occupation: Key marker and auto electrician
Hometown: Ghazala, Syria
Date of arrival in Abu Dhabi: May 15, 1978
Family: 11 siblings, a wife, three sons and one daughter
Favourite place in UAE: Abu Dhabi
Favourite hobby: I like to do a mix of things, like listening to poetry for example.
Favourite Syrian artist: Sabah Fakhri, a tenor from Aleppo
Favourite food: fresh fish
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Results
2.30pm: Park Avenue – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 2,000m; Winner: Rb Seqondtonone, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
3.05pm: Al Furjan – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Bosphorus, Dane O’Neill, Bhupat Seemar
3.40pm: Mina – Rated Condition (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Royal Mews, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
4.15pm: Aliyah – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,900m; Winner: Ursa Minor, Ray Dawson, Ahmad bin Harmash
4.50pm: Riviera Beach – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 2,200m; Winner: Woodditton, Saif Al Balushi, Ahmad bin Harmash
5.25pm: Riviera – Handicap (TB) Dh2,000 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Al Madhar, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
6pm: Creek Views – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Al Salt, Dane O’Neill, Erwan Charpy
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Results:
6.30pm: Maiden | US$45,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres
Winner: Tabarak, Royston Ffrench (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap | $175,000 (Turf) | 3,200m
Winner: Dubhe, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
7.40pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Estihdaaf, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor
8.15pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,800m
Winner: Nordic Lights, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 2 | $450,000 (D) | 1,900m
Winner: North America, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
9.25pm: Handicap | $175,000 (T) | 1,200m
Winner: Mazzini, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
10pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,400m.
Winner: Mubtasim, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
Emirates exiles
Will Wilson is not the first player to have attained high-class representative honours after first learning to play rugby on the playing fields of UAE.
Jonny Macdonald
Abu Dhabi-born and raised, the current Jebel Ali Dragons assistant coach was selected to play for Scotland at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2011.
Jordan Onojaife
Having started rugby by chance when the Jumeirah College team were short of players, he later won the World Under 20 Championship with England.
Devante Onojaife
Followed older brother Jordan into England age-group rugby, as well as the pro game at Northampton Saints, but recently switched allegiance to Scotland.
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Read more about the coronavirus
UAE%20medallists%20at%20Asian%20Games%202023
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Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Director: Jon Watts
Stars: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon
Rating:*****
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
FIXTURES
Nov 04-05: v Western Australia XI, Perth
Nov 08-11: v Cricket Australia XI, Adelaide
Nov 15-18 v Cricket Australia XI, Townsville (d/n)
Nov 23-27: 1ST TEST v AUSTRALIA, Brisbane
Dec 02-06: 2ND TEST v AUSTRALIA, Adelaide (d/n)
Dec 09-10: v Cricket Australia XI, Perth
Dec 14-18: 3RD TEST v AUSTRALIA, Perth
Dec 26-30 4TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Melbourne
Jan 04-08: 5TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Sydney
Note: d/n = day/night
Company%20profile%20
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The%20specs
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Brief scores:
Liverpool 3
Mane 24', Shaqiri 73', 80'
Manchester United 1
Lingard 33'
Man of the Match: Fabinho (Liverpool)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Everybody%20Loves%20Touda
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nabil%20Ayouch%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nisrin%20Erradi%2C%20Joud%20Chamihy%2C%20Jalila%20Talemsi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
PROFILE OF CURE.FIT
Started: July 2016
Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
Based: Bangalore, India
Sector: Health & wellness
Size: 500 employees
Investment: $250 million
Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)
MATCH INFO
Burnley 0
Man City 3
Raheem Sterling 35', 49'
Ferran Torres 65'
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
The specs: McLaren 600LT
Price, base: Dh914,000
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 600hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 620Nm @ 5,500rpm
Fuel economy 12.2.L / 100km
SECRET%20INVASION
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