Oliver Gerbig
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Oliver Benjamin Gerbig | ||
Date of birth | 12 December 1998 | ||
Place of birth | Happy Valley, Hong Kong | ||
Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
Position(s) |
Centre back Right back | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Kitchee | ||
Number | 18 | ||
Youth career | |||
2008–2014 | Inter Taoyuan | ||
College career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2018–2020 | Coastal Carolina Chanticleers | 35 | (0) |
2020–2021 | Virginia Cavaliers | 29 | (1) |
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2014–2018 | Royal Blues | ||
2018 | Taipei Red Lions | ||
2022– | Kitchee | 18 | (0) |
International career‡ | |||
2017–2018 | Hong Kong U-20 | ||
2019 | Hong Kong U-23 | 1 | (0) |
2023– | Hong Kong | 2 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 May 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 1 January 2024 |
Oliver Benjamin Gerbig (Chinese: 周緣德; pinyin: Zhōu Yuándé; born 12 December 1998) is a Hong Kong professional footballer of partial German descent who currently plays as a centre back for Hong Kong Premier League club Kitchee.
Gerbig has played for Hong Kong U-20, Royal Blues and Taipei Red Lions in the Taiwan Football Premier League. In 2018, he began playing NCAA Division I Men's Soccer at Coastal Carolina University in the United States. Since 2020, he has transferred to the University of Virginia.
Amateur career
In April 2015, Gerbig began playing for Royal Blues in Taipei at the age of 16. In his debut match, a league match against Taichung City on 1 November 2015, he was substituted in at 41 minutes, and 4 minutes later, he scored his first goal with a long shot.[1] This goal contributed to Royal Blues winning the game 3–1.
In April 2018, Gerbig joined the Taipei Red Lions,[2] but he suffered a knee injury during this time. Not only did he leave the team after only three months of playing for the Taipei Red Lions, but he also missed the 2018 Asian Games.
In July 2018, Gerbig went to the United States to study at Coastal Carolina University and represented the Coastal Carolina Men's Soccer Team in NCAA Division I Men's Soccer.[3] In two years, he appeared in 35 matches as the main centre back.[4][5] In the second year, he helped the team win the 2019 Sun Belt Conference and qualified for the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament.[6]
On 29 February 2020, Gerbig announced his transfer to the University of Virginia on the social media, where he would represent Virginia Cavaliers Men's Soccer. University of Virginia is a top school for the NCAA Men's Soccer Division I program in the United States. The team has qualified for the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament over 40 times and won 7 championships. It also finished as runner-up in 2019.
Professional career
Kitchee
On 24 July 2022, Kitchee announced an agreement for Gerbig to join in the 2022–23 season.[7]
On 19 August 2022, Gerbig made his professional debut in the AFC Champions League Round of 16 match against BG Pathum United.
International career
Gerbig represented Hong Kong U-20 in the 13th National Games of the People’s Republic of China in 2017.[8][9][10] In the 2018 Asian Games the following year, although Gerbig was once again selected for the 40-man roster of Hong Kong U-23, he had to sit out on the Asian Games due to injury.[11]
In March 2019, Gerbig was called up again in the 2020 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers and played for the first time against North Korea U-23, where Hong Kong U-23 lost by two goals in the final match.[12]
On 16 November 2023, Gerbig made his international debut for Hong Kong in the World Cup qualifers against Iran.
Career statistics
International
- As of 1 January 2024
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Hong Kong | 2023 | 1 | 0 |
2024 | 1 | 0 | |
Total | 2 | 0 |
# | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 16 November 2023 | Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran | Iran | 0–4 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC second round |
2 | 1 January 2024 | Baniyas Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | China | 2–1 | Friendly |
Personal life
Gerbig was born and raised in Hong Kong. He attended the Discovery Bay International School, where he began playing football. He moved to Taiwan at the age of 5.
After moving to Taiwan, Gerbig attended Taipei European School. He transferred to Taipei American School two years later, where he graduated high school in 2017.
Honours
Club
Kitchee
- Hong Kong Premier League: 2022–23
- Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield: 2022–23
- Hong Kong FA Cup: 2022–23
References
- ^ "Oliver Gerbig | Royal Blues Debut - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
- ^ "Oliver Gerbig - New Player for Red Lions F.C." Facebook.
- ^ Blondin, Alan. "Grand Strand high school player among 18 Coastal Carolina soccer signings".
- ^ "Oliver Gerbig - CCU Men's Soccer Profile". Coastal Carolina University Athletics. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
- ^ "2020 Men's Soccer Schedule". Coastal Carolina University Athletics. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
- ^ "MSOC Game Notes SBC CS (PDF)" (PDF). Coastal Carolina University Athletics. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
- ^ "【亞冠盃】傑志重簽費蘭度 周緣德首效力本地球會". 體路. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
- ^ "Oliver Gerbig UVA Player Profile". Virginia Cavaliers Official Athletic Site. 2020-07-17. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
- ^ "DSE殺到 U20港足點兵難 搵埋台甲腳踢全運". www.upower.com.hk (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 2017-03-24. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
- ^ "U20港足全運預賽負山東 來仗鬥浙江或遇張玉寧". www.upower.com.hk (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 2017-03-27. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
- ^ "Hong Kong U-22 Representative Team Preliminary Squad".
- ^ "【U23亞盃外】港足吞朝鮮兩蛋 出線決賽周機會渺茫 (15:32) - 20190326 - 體育". 明報新聞網 - 即時新聞 instant news (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 2021-01-18.
External links
- 1998 births
- Living people
- Hong Kong men's footballers
- Hong Kong men's international footballers
- Hong Kong people of German descent
- Men's association football defenders
- Taiwan Football Premier League players
- Hong Kong Premier League players
- Kitchee SC players
- Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
- Virginia Cavaliers men's soccer players
- Coastal Carolina Chanticleers men's soccer players
- Hong Kong expatriate men's footballers
- Hong Kong expatriates in the United States
- 2023 AFC Asian Cup players