Matt Orr says he has “grown through adversity” after surviving some “dark moments” when his dream move to Shenzhen Peng City threatened to turn sour last season.

Hong Kong striker Orr was a peripheral figure under former Shenzhen boss Jesus Tato, despite transferring to the club off the back of a prolific 2023 campaign in China League One with Guangxi Pingguo Haliao.

With Shenzhen mired in trouble deep into the 2024 season, Spaniard Tato was replaced by Christian Lattanzio. The Italian stuck to a pledge to give Orr a fair crack, and was rewarded with two goals in three games from the 27-year-old, as Shenzhen narrowly avoided relegation from the Chinese Super League (CSL).

Orr, who will lead the line for Hong Kong in their crucial East Asian Football Federation Championship (EAFF) qualifier against Chinese Taipei on Saturday, said: “There were some dark moments – I had been on such a high [during previous season with Guangxi], then it was the polar opposite: such a low.

“The hardest part was trying to stay motivated [in training] and retain my self-belief. I tried to step back and realise I was in the CSL, which was my goal. It’s not easy to play as a No 9 in the league, because you’re competing with foreigners, not local players.

“It was f****** hard, sometimes, but I made it through … I have grown a lot mentally through that adversity. If I can go through that, there’s not much that can stop me.