Chinese fans take a shine to Sun's City

There has been talk before in top-flight boardrooms of "going to the Orient after Christmas." Not so very long ago it meant a trip to Brisbane Road in the third round of the FA Cup. In the case of the mission being prepared from Maine Road, it means the opening of merchandising outlets in three Chinese cities and the marketing of what Colin Bird calls "the brand that is Manchester City".

Four years ago the brand that was Manchester City was third-class in England. Now it has a first-class appeal in Shanghai, Beijing and Dalian, with City sitting comfortably in the Premiership table and with Sun Jihai sitting nicely at right wing-back in Kevin Keegan's team.

According to Bird, City's chief operating officer: "It would not be correct to say that Sun Jihai is the engine driver behind what we are doing." He does, however, concede: "The fact that he is here and doing so well in the side is obviously an added benefit." It is indeed.

That benefit promises to be a goldmine for City. There are not just the replica No 17 shirts to consider. A recent television programme spotlighting Sun attracted an audience of 30 million in China. Among Bird's plans when he flies to the Far East in January is the sale of a television magazine show about City.

There could have been a Cantonese show about Palace life, of course. But, then, Mark Goldberg's empire went bust at Selhurst Park after he struck upon the idea (in tandem with Terry Venables) of signing Sun and Fan Zhiyi in 1998. The trouble was, Crystal Palace were losing money at a faster rate than the yuan were coming in for the live screening of First Division matches on Chinese television. Still, given Sun's increasing worth at Manchester City and Li Tie's at Everton, Goldberg can claim – in one respect – to have been a football man ahead of his time.

The Chinese market has become so lucrative Newcastle United have even forged a formal alliance with the Chinese champions, Dalian Shide. The Magpies had first option to buy Sun from the club last season but a deal fell through because of the player's involvement in China's World Cup preparations. Milan and Torino were also interested in the 25-year-old, but it was Keegan who signed him, for £2m in March.

Sun has been an ever-present for City in League and cup matches this season, starting out on the right side of a three-man central defence and switching to right wing-back. He has made a favourable impression too, winning the club's player of the month award in September and heading the first goal in a 2-0 win away to Birmingham in October – the first goal by a Chinese player in the Premiership. He also scored in City's 3-0 win at Sunderland a fortnight ago.

"Things are working out really well for me," Sun said. "There is a great interest in the Premiership in China. Games are shown on television each weekend. If I can adapt to the Premiership the English clubs may be encouraged to buy more Chinese players. But I do not want to be called an ambassador. I want to take one step at a time and make sure I learn everything I can. Being at Manchester City is a great opportunity for me.

"For a Chinese player, it is enough for me to be able to represent my country in one of the world's top five leagues and to be be able to win everyone's recognition and respect. Every game, every training session, I work hard to gain more trust from my coach, the fans and the club. It proves a lot to me if I can take part in each game because the competition is very fierce in this club.

"Coming back to Britain this time I just wanted to see what I could do, but I hope I can play 300 games in the English Premier League."

The Maine Road money men no doubt hope so too, though Sun is in City's Premiership team on merit. "Hats off to him for the way he has adapted to the Premiership," Keegan said. "He may have surprised a few people but when he came here we knew – as did those who had worked with him in China and at Crystal Palace – that he was an outstanding talent. He's done a great job and impressed everyone. His attitude and his work ethic have been fantastic and he's settled in very quickly, which has made his job a bit easier."

Sun has certainly settled better than he did in south London. "I have had no problems making Manchester my new home," he said. "There is a big Chinese community here and they and everyone at City has made me very welcome."

It was much the same for Frank Soo at Stoke in the Thirties and Forties and for Sammy Chung at Watford in the Fifties and Sixties. But, then, they were natives of Buxton and Abingdon. They were pioneers in English football for the land of their Chinese fathers.