Photo: Agnieszka Mieszczak / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Sun Jihai holds a special place in my view of Asian football history. When he scored for Manchester City in 2002, he became the first East Asian player to find the net in the Premier League, a milestone that meant far more than a single goal. I think of the nerve it took for a defender from Dalian to plant himself in English football at a time when Chinese players were still doubted abroad. He was a pioneer who carried himself with quiet authority on both ends of the pitch. The path he opened for younger East Asian players overseas is, to me, his real legacy.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Sun Jihai
- Name (Japanese)
- 孫継海
- Reading
- 不明
- Born
- September 30, 1977 (age 48)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Snake
- Origin
- Dalian, People's Republic of China
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 183 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- association football player
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AD%AB%E7%B6%99%E6%B5%B7
Frequently asked questions
When was Sun Jihai born?
Born September 30, 1977 (age 48).
Where is Sun Jihai from?
Sun Jihai is from Dalian, People's Republic of China.
What does Sun Jihai do?
Sun Jihai works as association football player.
How tall is Sun Jihai?
Sun Jihai is 183 cm.
Association football player — see all → · More people from People's Republic of China →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.