Zheng Zhi, the 2013 Asian soccer player of the year, who is at Guangzhou Evergrande, will lead China’s charge at the Asian Cup, to be held in Australia next month.
China announced their squad on Tuesday, with Zheng to bolster the midfield.
He was a hit with fans during nearly three seasons at Charlton Athletic and a year with Scottish giants Celtic before returning to join Guangzhou Evergrande in 2010.
Also bringing an international flavour is midfielder Hao Junmin, who made 14 league appearances for Germany’s Schalke 04 in 2010 and 2011.
The roster also includes Guangzhou Evergrande striker Gao Lin and his midfield teammate Zhang Linpeng, whose red-carding this year damaged their team’s bid for the AFC Champions League title.
He is joined at the front by Yang Xu, who plays for Shandong Luneng at home and scored in China’s build-up for the cup in a 3-0 win over Thailand in October.