“I did not go AWOL or disappear. I was simply going through a difficult period.”

Premier league club Kwoon Chung Southern announced in early August that Jose Diaz had abruptly left the club and was not able to get in touch with its then-player. At the end of the same month, Diaz re-emerged in Hong Kong, leading to all sorts of speculations surrounding the player and his future.

The news that Diaz had left Kwoon Chung Southern came as a shock to everyone in the premier league circuit and the fact that the Spanish veteran showed up ten days later on the pitch side in a Lee Man Rangers friendly was even more shocking. The soap-opera hit the climax finally, as Diaz signed on the dotted line for premier league new boys BC Glory Sky.

Diaz did not want to talk about what went through behind the scenes but as a BC Glory Sky player, the Spaniard is ready to start afresh and put aside all negative thoughts, including potentially calling quits on his football career.

“I went through a difficult period of time earlier and did not even want to play football anymore,” the always-classy Diaz recalled. “I finally severed my ties with Kwoon Chung Southern. It came from a face-to-face meeting with the club and it was a mutual decision. I want to respect them and that is why I am not going to reveal any details about the incident. I just want to say it is all over now.”

Diaz emphasized it was a very tough time for himself personally and the chaos affected his family life as well. At the end, the Spanish player is just glad things are all over. “What happened in the past is now in the past. Joining young BC Glory Sky is a new chapter of my life,” Diaz mentioned.

“By signing on with BC Glory Sky, I certainly hope to do my part and help them to improve. I am always in support of young players and do not mind if they make mistakes. In truth, I make mistakes during the game as well and that is why we cannot be overly tough against the young players. It is not the end of the day to make mistakes. The most important part is not to make the same mistake twice and prepare for the next game in a humble manner,” expressed Diaz, who is also thankful to all his former clubs in Hong Kong while spending the past seven seasons in town.

Premier league fans have always thought of Diaz as a friendly and kind player. Ever since leaving Real Murcia as a twenty-five year-old, Diaz has left his footprints in Europe, America and Asia, playing for different clubs and sampled different cultures. Diaz maintained it was not an easy path but yet, his own character and teachings from his grandmother and great-grandmother have taught him to respect every single person in different walks in life.

“In life, the most important thing has to be respecting the others,” offered Diaz, who lived with his now-deceased mother as a young child and appreciated her immensely for signing him up for English classes, allowing him to communicate with the others later on while living overseas.

 “When I was a kid, my mom really cared about how I was doing in English classes. But I never enjoyed them and when I reached ten years-old, I finally told her I had enough and would not be returning to English classes,” Diaz said.

Starting his professional football career and university at the same time at eighteen years-old, it was not until 2009 when Diaz went abroad to U.S.A. that he realized how beneficial those English classes were. “It was really amazing, as all the English that I learnt as a kid all came back to me at that point. Even now that I am playing in Hong Kong, those classes and what I learnt still come in very handy.”

The always cheerful Jose Diaz maintains nothing is more important than happiness in life. “Life is all about how to stay happy and making those around you happy. I am now going to be a happy chap and bring happiness to those around me.”