“I met with the team in Guangzhou for a preseason camp, and in the first two days realised life would be very different,” he said. “I was uncomfortable initially.

“I loved living in Hong Kong, which made moving a hard decision, but I have not come here to live a fantastic life, the move is for football, so I will deal with it, no problem”.

Gerbig’s career has undergone a “big turnaround” since the opening months of the season, when he was “not in a good place with my football”.

After struggling for Hong Kong recognition, despite a pivotal role in Kitchee’s treble winning campaign last season, he capitalised on his opportunity when injuries ruled out fellow defenders before the Asian Cup.

Gerbig finished the tournament as the team’s number one central defender, and returned from Qatar to tell Kitchee he wanted to accept a fresh challenge elsewhere.

New employers Henan finished 10th in last season’s CSL, and play home matches at the 30,000 Hanghai Stadium.

“Kitchee did not want me to leave, I was part of their long-term plans,” Gerbig said. “They were not too pleased, but … I spoke to the club in person, and said I did not want to force my way out.

“We had good talks, and they told me what they wanted for me to leave. Then it was up to interested clubs to figure that out with Kitchee. I will always be grateful to Kitchee. They gave me my first professional contract, invested their faith in me, and helped me improve.”

Henan expressed interest in Gerbig before the Asian Cup, and ultimately stumped up the reported 1 million yuan (HK$1.09 million) required to secure the player.

Gerbig had a nervous Wednesday night, travelling with his team by train to Qingdao, where Henan start their season on Friday, with the club rushing to complete a three-year contract, ahead of the midnight CSL transfer deadline.

He is waiting to learn whether the deal was ratified in time for a debut against Qingdao West Coast, or whether his first playing opportunity will come at home to Meizhou Hakka next Saturday.

“The CSL has more exposure than Hong Kong, and if you do well here, more chances will come your way,” Gerbig said.

“We had open training at 3pm on Tuesday, and 700 fans were there. The support pushes you, and playing here will feel like a proper professional experience.

“The biggest difference will be having home and away games. We were on a train for about 3½ hours to get to Qingdao, and arrived at midnight. In Hong Kong, you sleep in your own bed every night.

“Every team here is competitive, it is similar to Europe, where bottom can beat top. I will be dealing with different types of athletic forwards. I have to step up, stay switched on, and keep improving.”

Gerbig sought advice from Hong Kong head coach Jorn Andersen, who encouraged the player to make a mainland move, to advance his game.

With Sun Ming-him joining Cangzhou Mighty Lions, Hong Kong have five players in the CSL, with others keen to follow suit.

“It was not such a big issue with Kitchee, but from what I have heard, a lot of Premier League clubs pay salaries players cannot live off,” Gerbig said. “Pre-Covid, there were more investors, so the league was more balanced and competitive.

“There needs to be a good, core youth set-up, to develop players for Hong Kong and improve the league. That will attract more investors, and it will snowball from there.

“The money in China is better, but that was not my motivation. I want to keep improving, and to at least know I have tried.”