ZICO - THE INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTAR ARRIVES IN SLEEPY WEST YORKSIRE
by Paul Hirst
When Huddersfield Town signed a 26 year old Thai striker called Kiatisuk Senamuang on the 22nd of November 1999, local fans could have been forgiven for scratching their heads. That was certainly the case in West Yorkshire but in his native country Kiatisuk's face was instantly recognizable. He was captain of the national team and had lent himself to advertising PlayStation and Nike boots.
His move to England created a lot of interest back home in Thailand with the Bangkok Post regularly featuring updates of the Thai star's progress in the White Rose county. Kiatisuk, also known as "Zico" like the Brazilian great of the same name on whom he based his playing style, was recommended to Town by the then Premier League side Middlesbrough, where he had been on trial the previous summer.
Known for his flair on the pitch and trademark back flip after scoring, he first featured for the Terriers reserve team at home to Preston North End. And, after an impressive debut, the initial signs looked. Had he made the step up, Zico would have been the first Thai player to play in the English football league, but unfortunately he never featured in the first team and only played a handful of games for the reserves. However, he did hit the target a few times for the "Stiffs" and followed these goals with his acrobatic celebration.
Less than a year after signing for Huddersfield, Zico was off back to his homeland to play for Rajpracha Sports Club. He later joined Singapore Armed Forces FC, in the S League, where he scored 15 goals in 20 games. In March 2002 he moved once again to become a star in Vietnam with Hoang Anh-Gia Lai, who he helped win the league title several times. Zico was in fact awarded a medal for his contributions to Vietnamese football. He returned to play for Thailand national football Team in the King's Cup in which he lead his team to victory.
In 2007 Zico gave an interview to a local paper, the Asia One News, during which he talked about his short time in England. "It was so difficult to adjust to the climate in England, trying to speak English and not eating any Thai food," he said. Adding,"I wasn't happy, I wasn't good enough, it was too cold and I was homesick. I learned how hard football in England can be, but in turn the experience made me stronger". Sadly, the Huddersfield public never really got to see the best of Zico, the man who was dubbed as important in Thailand as the prime minister and as popular as David Beckham.
Other than the select few who saw him perform in the reserve team he remains a mystery to most fans but has become a part of Huddersfield Town folklore.
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