Sun signs for City

Chinese star heading for Manchester

BEIJING (AP) -- Fullback Sun Jihai, a star on China's World Cup soccer team, has moved to Manchester City in England's first division for a 2 million pound (US$2.8 million) transfer fee, his former Chinese team announced.

The fee is a record for a Chinese player, Chinese team Dalian Shide said.

The move is likely to boost China's confidence in its chances in its World Cup debut this year in Japan and South Korea. China faces Costa Rica in its first match June 4.

Sun's transfer "shows that Chinese soccer has gained the approval of international soccer and has already entered the era of exporting players," Dalian Shide said in a statement issued Monday.

Sun, 24, is to be paid 650,000 pounds (US$910,000) a year at Manchester City.

Led by former England coach Kevin Keegan, Manchester City is second in its division and could be promoted. That could make Sun the first Chinese player in England's Premier League.

"I am fully confident of playing well in competition here," China's official Xinhua News Agency quoted Sun as saying on arrival Tuesday in London.

The 1.8-meter (6-foot), 78-kilogram (172-pound) Sun has made 57 international appearances for China since debuting against South Korea in 1996.

There was no immediate word on when Sun would make his first appearance for Manchester City.

He previously played one season for English team Crystal Palace, but returned to Dalian in 1999.

 

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