Field of dreams

He Yu says he developed a passion for soccer at age 10 in 1998, when the World Cup opened his eyes to another world. Qiu Bo / China Daily

'Crazy' passion takes a soccer lover into the heady world of sports broadcasting. Qiu Bo reports.

He Yu has long loved talking about sports. Now, the 25-year-old Chinese who lives in the United Kingdom, does so on the radio.

"When I am sitting down, looking at the screen and talking about the match, I really feel I am a king," He says.

He took only three years to turn his dream into reality.

He developed a passion for soccer when he was 10. That was in 1998, when the World Cup opened his eyes to another world.

"It was so exciting," he says. "It was the first time I found that I could be so crazy about something."

A year later, he encountered another milestone in his soccer journey when he became a fan of the famous Red Devils, Manchester United Soccer Club.

"The magical red will forever run in my blood," he says, as if swearing an oath.

Shortly after, He decided he would become a soccer commentator.

In 2010, after He had graduated from university, his father hoped his only son would take on the family business. So he sent him overseas to learn about international business management.

He's father compared many universities in various countries, but He believed he should study in the UK. Eventually, he started a marketing degree at Liverpool University.

"If my passion for soccer was like a monologue before I went to England, it quickly became a dialogue when I saw matches at the grounds."

He says his first visit to Manchester United's stadium, Old Trafford, was like a pilgrimage.