| Raphaël Merkies | |
| Fullname: | Raphaël Merkies |
| Birth Date: | 15 April 2002 |
| Birth Place: | Paris, France |
| Height: | 1.82 m |
| Currentclub: | Southern |
| Clubnumber: | 17 |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Youthclubs1: | HKFC |
| Years1: | 2017–2022 |
| Clubs1: | Club Colts |
| Caps1: | 34 |
| Goals1: | 1 |
| Years2: | 2022–2023 |
| Caps2: | 18 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 2023– |
| Caps3: | 0 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 0 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 10 June 2023 |
Raphaël Merkies (; born 15 April 2002) is a professional footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Hong Kong Premier League club Southern. Born in France, he received his HKSAR passport in October 2024.
Merkies began his professional career in 2022 by taking a gap year off university, having been promoted to the HKFC first team ahead of the 2022–23 Hong Kong Premier League season.[1] [2] The young winger made his league debut in a 1–0 victory over Sham Shui Po in the opening day fixture. Merkies then scored his first goal for the club weeks later in a Hong Kong FA Cup tie against Resources Capital.[3] [4]
Merkies was released at the end of the season.[5]
On 10 June 2023, Merkies joined Southern,[6] signing his first professional contract.[7] [8] [9] He went on to take time off school and announced his decision to pursue football as a full-time passion prior to signing with Southern.[10] Merkies netted his first goal for Southern in once again a Hong Kong Sapling Cup tie against his former club HKFC in a 2–2 draw away from home.[11] [12]
Growing up in the suburbs of Paris, Merkies moved to Hong Kong in 2016 aged 14, enrolling in the French International School of Hong Kong. He is of Dutch and French descent and holds French citizenship. He is also of partial Laotian Chinese descent from his maternal side of the family.
On 10 October 2024, Merkies received his HKSAR passport after staying in Hong Kong for seven years, making him eligible to represent Hong Kong internationally.[13]
After acquiring his HKSAR passport, Merkies was named in the 52-man preliminary squad in preparation for the national team's friendly fixtures for November 2024. [14]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Club Colts | 2017–18 | Yau Yee Football League | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | |
| 2018–19 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 | |||
| 2021–22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| Total | 34 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 1 | |||
| HKFC | 2022–23 | Hong Kong Premier League | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | |
| Career total | 37 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 2 | |||