Sun Jihai

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Sun Jihai
Personal information
Full name	Jihai Sun
Date of birth	September 30, 1977 (1977-09-30) (age 30)
Place of birth	Dalian, China
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position	Right Back
Club information
Current club	Manchester City
Number	17
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1995–1998 1998–1999 1999–2002 2002–	Dalian Wanda Crystal Palace Dalian Shide Manchester City	071 (1) 023 (0) 052 (6) 130 (3)
National team2
1996–	China	066 (1)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20:16, 31 May 2008 (UTC). 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 12:00, 27 March 2007 (UTC). * Appearances (Goals)

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Sun.

Sun Jihai (Simplified Chinese: 孙继海) (born 30 September 1977 in Dalian, China) is a Chinese football player who currently plays for Manchester City as a defender and for the China national football team as a midfielder.

Sun's main strengths are his speed, physical strength, crossing and attacking forays down the wings. He is a highly versatile player, having played as a central defender, a holding midfielder, and on both wings. Sun is a valuable utility player in Manchester City and one of the most important players in the Chinese national team.

[edit] Club career

Sun started his professional career with Dalian Wanda in 1995 and made his first appearance on May 28, 1995. Sun did not intend to start his professional career at such a young age. Like all the top young Chinese players of that generation, he wanted to go to the training camp in Brazil. However, he was not selected as he was not deemed to possess enough potential. Sun Jihai showed great character by not letting this huge disappointment derail him. He worked very hard and eventually enjoyed what is undoubtedly the most successful career of any Chinese football player.

After three successful years at Dalian, Sun along with Fan Zhiyi signed for Crystal Palace in 1998. They became the first Chinese footballers to play in the English leagues. {Or in ethnicity, Cheung Chi Doy from British Hongkong and represent ROC is.) Sun made his debut for Crystal Palace in a 0-3 defeat at Bury in the first leg of the Football League Cup match.

In 2002, Sun signed for Manchester City from Dalian for £2 millions. He made his City debut in a 4-2 win over Coventry City.

Sun Jihai enjoyed a great start to his first season in the Premier league. His solid defense and dangerous attacking forays won over many City fans. He was voted the best player at Manchester City for the month of September 2002.

In October 2002, Sun became the first Chinese footballer to score in the Premier League when he headed home the first City goal in their 2-0 win over Birmingham City.

At the beginning of the 2004–05 season, Sun damaged his cruciate ligaments in a tackle with Chelsea striker Eiður Guðjohnsen and missed the rest of the season. After recuperating and following a strict physical regimen devised by his father, Sun Jihai is now a regular starter in the Man City line up.

Sun's 2006–07 season was set back yet again by another injury, he made his return on 10 February 2007, against Portsmouth, which Man City lost 2 - 1.

With the arrival of Sven Goran Eriksson, Sun rarely plays in the 2007–08 season. He was replaced by Vedran Corluka on the right back position and Michael Ball plays as the defensive substitute instead of him.

He scored an own goal in a premier league match against Derby County on 30 January 2008 when Kenny Miller fired a shot low which went into the net off Sun's foot. The match ended 1-1.

[edit] National career

Sun made his international debut for China on 6 December 1996 against Uzbekistan.

At China's first match during the 2002 FIFA World Cup against Costa Rica, Sun picked up an ankle injury after a tackle from behind by Costa Rican defender, Mauricio Solís after just 17 minutes. Unable to play, Sun was replaced after 25 minutes and sat out for the rest of China's matches.

On June 7, 2008, in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Qatar, Sun was shown a straight red card for dissent while he was warming up as a substitute on the bench. China lost the match 0-1.

[edit] Club Career Stats

Last update: 20 May 2008

Season	Team	Country	Division	Apps	Goals
1995	Dalian Wanda	China	1	13	0
1996	Dalian Wanda	China	1	21	0
1997	Dalian Wanda	China	1	19	0
1998	Dalian Wanda	China	1	18	1
98/99	Crystal Palace	England	2	23	0
1999	Dalian Shide	China	1	8	1
2000	Dalian Shide	China	1	21	2
2001	Dalian Shide	China	1	23	3
01/02	Manchester City	England	2	7	0
02/03	Manchester City	England	1	28	2
03/04	Manchester City	England	1	33	1
04/05	Manchester City	England	1	6	0
05/06	Manchester City	England	1	29	0
06/07	Manchester City	England	1	13	0
07/08	Manchester City	England	1	14	0

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Sun Jihai career stats at Soccerbase

v • d • e China squad - 2002 FIFA World Cup 1 An Qi • 2 Zhang Enhua • 3 Yang Pu • 4 Wu Chengying • 5 Fan Zhiyi • 6 Shao Jiayi • 7 Sun Jihai • 8 Li Tie • 9 Ma Mingyu • 10 Hao Haidong • 11 Yu Genwei • 12 Su Maozhen • 13 Gao Yao • 14 Li Weifeng • 15 Zhao Junzhe • 16 Qu Bo • 17 Du Wei • 18 Li Xiaopeng • 19 Qi Hong • 20 Yang Chen • 21 Xu Yunlong • 22 Jiang Jin • 23 Ou Chuliang • Coach: Milutinović