HKFC STANDARD CHARTERED SOCCER SEVENS: CHAMPIONS ASTON VILLA SET FOR HONG KONG, AMONG HOST OF ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS

Newcastle, Fulham, West Ham, Brighton represent the Premier League alongside Championship side Leicester
Rangers are the Scottish Premiership's representatives in the tournament, which will also feature a women's event this year

Seven-time winners and defending champions Aston Villa will return to Hong Kong for the HKFC Standard Chartered Soccer Sevens in May, alongside a host of other English Premier League clubs.

The Soccer Sevens, this year celebrating its 25th anniversary, will take place from May 24 to 26.

It will feature a women's edition for the first time, but organisers said the eight teams taking part would be announced in April.

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Last year, Aston Villa became the first outfit to win the 16-team, three-day tournament after its four-year hiatus because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

They will be joined this year by three-time winners Newcastle and fellow Premier League sides Fulham, West Ham United, and Brighton and Hove Albion.

Regular visitors Rangers of the Scottish Premiership and Leicester City - two-time Sevens winners and sitting second in the EFL Championship - will also be there.

Tai Po, last year's runners up, will represent the Hong Kong Premier League alongside HK U23 in the tournament, which comprises 16 teams in the main event and 10 in the Masters event.

"It is our great pleasure to welcome defending champions Aston Villa back to Hong Kong for what will surely be another thrilling edition," HKFC chairman Neil Jensen said.

Soccer Sevens bursts back on scene with former stars feeling the love

"I'm always excited to see what young stars these clubs bring to Hong Kong, as some of them go on to great things in the future."

England international Jack Grealish, the GBP100 million Manchester City midfielder and a treble winner last season, played in the Hong Kong tournament on three occasions when he was on the books at Aston Villa's youth academy.

Also among those who played in Hong Kong before graduating to the club's first team are England international Gabriel Agbonlahor and Barry Bannan, player of the tournament in 2006 and 2008 respectively.

Others who passed through the doors at Hong Kong Football Club are Marc Albrighton, who won the Premier League with Leicester City in 2016, and Poland and Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.

In previous years, the Hong Kong Football Association suspended fixtures in the men's Premier League so that players could play in the Sevens, but the Post understands that will not be happening this year.