Britain is helping China achieve its dream of becoming a world-class soccer nation

From high-profile signings to skills sessions in Beijing with former England captain David Beckham, Britain and China already have deep links when it comes to the beautiful game.

And this connection has become increasingly important since the Chinese government launched a comprehensive reform of the domestic sport from the bottom up.

From left: Bobby Houghton, who coached the Chinese national team for two years in the late 1990s; the Manchester United crest; and rightback Sun Jihai with then-Manchester City manager Kevin Keegan. Xinhua / Agencies

David Beckham takes a free kick at a Beijing high school in 2013.

Few players can testify to the lessons Chinese soccer can learn from leagues in England and Scotland as well as Fan Zhiyi. The former centerback, who featured for China at the 2002 World Cup, the nation's only appearance in the finals, played 88 games for Crystal Palace between 1998 and 2001 and also had spells with Dundee and Cardiff City.

"The advanced training methods and professional support, as well as the youth team setup, really opened our eyes back then," says Fan, who is now passing on his experience as the youth program director with Shanghai Shenhua FC.

During his time in Britain, fellow countrymen Sun Jihai and Li Tie also signed for Manchester City and Everton, respectively. Sun, now with Chongqing Lifan in the Chinese Super League, signed for the Blues for 2 million pounds ($3 million; 2.7 million euros) and in 2002 was the first Chinese player to score a Premier League goal. Fan says the experience they gained at British clubs benefited their careers and the Chinese national team. Zheng Zhi, the current China captain, also played for Charlton Athletic and Celtic in the late 2000s.

However, in recent years more Chinese have headed to British universities to learn the game and the industry as a whole than have signed lucrative club contracts. The University of Liverpool's soccer industrials MBA has attracted many applicants from China who want to learn from the home of modern soccer. The 12-month program, which since 1997 has been run jointly by the university's school of management, the Football Association and Liverpool FC, offers practical curricula and internship opportunities. So far, it is the only one of its kind in the world and since the early 2000s has enrolled 40 Chinese students, says Geoff Pearson, the director of studies.

"We've always had good levels of applicants from China, even though some didn't have a football background," he says. "Our geographical location opens up opportunities. We link up with Liverpool, Wigan Athletic and Manchester City for practical parts of the course."

The internships allow students to get involved in every aspect of a club's operations, from public relations to player management, he adds.

Qiu Xiaojie, who graduated from the program in 2006 and now works with Nike's soccer division, says: "The wide range of practical management courses and vocational training from top executives at Premier League clubs benefited me greatly and opened my eyes."

Stars from the British game have also been making the trip to China. For example, former Chelsea strikers Nicolas Anelka, Didier Drogba and Demba Ba have all featured for Shanghai Shenhua FC, the latter signing for a record 11 million pounds in the summer. What has made a bigger impact, though, has been the work off the pitch.

Beckham has visited China several times as part of promotions targeted at youth players, either leading training sessions or attending events to raise funds for junior leagues. He also accepted a one-year role in 2013 to act as an ambassador for the Chinese FA's youth program and the Chinese Super League.

"It's important for me to be able to educate the children to go into one of the greatest sports in the world," the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and LA Galaxy midfielder said at the time. "I know how important the youth system is and I did a lot of work (on youth training) in Europe and America. Hopefully I can do it here as well."

After ending his ambassadorial role, Beckham has continued to be involved with Chinese soccer. A fund he launched with China Soong Ching Ling Foundation last year has helped upgrade soccer facilities at several schools in underdeveloped areas, particularly in the northwestern Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

"His star power and the fund will attract more attention to Xinjiang football and will help improve the conditions here for children," says Abulahet Amulism, director of the region's soccer administrative center.

One goal in the government's reform plan is to increase the number of schools nationwide offering specialised football programs from the current 5,000 to 50,000 within the next 15 years.

British companies have also seen the potential in Chinese soccer and have attempted to establish a presence in the market, including Jaguar Land Rover, which has been helping Chinese young people go on sports exchanges.

The automaker teamed up with the British Council's Premier Skills youth program to help about 30 Chinese students and a group of referees to travel to take part in various soccer activities in Britain as well as to watch Premier League matches, financed by the company's Children and Youth Dream Fund.

"The exchange is a wonderful opportunity for children to broaden their horizons, get to know their British counterparts and learn from the best of British football," says Ni Jian, charge d'affaires at the Chinese embassy in London.

Xu Jiayin, owner of Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao FC, one of China's most successful teams, agrees and adds that exchanges in youth talent, club management and coaching development are far more vital to China's long-term soccer dreams than big-money transfers.

Highlights

1997: Former England international Bobby Houghton became the first Briton to be appointed head coach of the Chinese national team.

1999: Manchester United, one of the most popular clubs in Europe, made its first preseason tour of China. Alex Ferguson's side played a friendly with Shanghai Shenhua FC.

2002: Sun Jihai became the first Chinese player to score an English Premier League goal while playing for Manchester City.

2003: In October, Beijing staged the first Sino-British grassroots soccer exchange, including junior matches and coaching sessions.

2005: During a visit to China in September, Prime Minister Tony Blair trained with students at Beijing's Yuetan Sports Center to promote a youth soccer clinic led by ex-England boss Bobby Robson.

2013: The Premier League and the Chinese FA announced a multilevel cooperation agreement during Prime Minister David Cameron's visit to China in December.

2015: Chancellor George Osborne announced in September that Britain would provide 3 million pounds in funding to train 5,000 Chinese coaches to Premier League level.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 10/16/2015 page22)