WITH BARELY time for the World Cup to fade into memory, the next mass football extravaganza - the English Premier League - is here to take the world by storm.
The world's most popular sport is full of showbiz glitz and nowhere more so than in England, home of superstars David Beckham, Michael Owen, Sol Campbell and Rio Ferdinand.
This year the familiar characters will be joined in the televised footie feast by a host of new names that emerged from the drama of this summer's World Cup in South Korea and Japan.
Some of the headline acts in the 10-month long blockbuster don't even speak English yet - but then that didn't stop Arnold Schwarzenegger from hitting the big time in Hollywood, did it?
New kids on the block to look out for include Senegal's World Cup hit El-Hadji Diouf who will be adding his African talent alongside the crafty footwork of Owen and the sheer power of Emile Heskey at Liverpool. He will be able to speak his native tongue with compatriot Salif Diao and Frenchmen Bruno Cheyrou and Alou Diarra - also new recruits.
Just a few kilometres away, China's World Cup heroes, Li Weifeng and Li Tie, will be adding more gas to another Merseyside team. The Li lads have signed a one-year loan deal with Everton - the team sponsored by Chinese mobile phone giant Kejian.
Nearby at Manchester City is their great mate Sun Jihai who will strut his stuff on the right-wing for former England coach Kevin Keegan. Striker Qu Bo has signed up for the ride of his life in London, playing for another ex-England coach - Glenn Hoddle - at Tottenham Hotspur.
