Tsun Dai included in Wolverhampton Wanderers’ English Premier League squad for 2019-20 season
- Wolves name Hongkonger among five players of Chinese descent eligible for Nuno Espirito Santo to call upon
- Midfielder could become second player from city to feature in English top flight
Although the English top flight started last month, clubs are only beginning to confirm their 25-man lists of players they will use for the coming campaign.
Squads need to include at least eight “home-grown” players in them. These are defined as any player who, irrespective of nationality, has been registered with an English club for three seasons before their 21st birthday.
However, the 20-year-old is included as one of the unlimited number of under-21 players English Premier League managers can call upon.
Dai is not the only player of Chinese heritage in line for a Premier League call up.
Swiss-born midfielder Ming Yang-Yang, 24, who joined Wolves in 2017, is another surprise inclusion in Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad of 25.
Their academy manager, Scott Sellars, mentioned it on the signing of Hong Wan in May.
“Throughout the Academy, we have an objective to develop players not just for the first team at Wolves, but also for a future career in professional football, and due to our ownership under Fosun, there is a large emphasis on developing young and talented Chinese players,” Sellars said.
While most of this group will play in the under-23s this season, it is telling that there are five players of Chinese heritage in their extended Premier League squad.
Meanwhile, another player has joined the growing number of footballers of Chinese descent in the West Midlands. Hong Kong-owned Birmingham City have confirmed the signing of Bernard Sun.
The 20-year-old was out of contract and signed for Blues after impressing on trial. Sun was born in China but grew up in Germany before moving to Spain with Jumilla, the Chinese-owned club that had a partnership with Wolves but have since been dissolved.
Sun last played for Jumilla’s reserve side Estudiantes de Murcia and on loan at Gimnastic Taragona. He has represented China at under-18 level.
Birmingham City’s official website said Sun, who had “been attracting interest from Chinese Super League”, is the club’s first China-born player. He has signed a two-year contract with Pep Clotet’s side.
