Sun Jihai recognizes his responsibility
(sportinglife)
Updated: 2005-07-18 10:31

"We have developed quickly as a nation but to get clubs up to the standard they are in England will take a lot of co-operation from the people themselves, the clubs, the coaches, the administrators and the Government."

Having been handed a new one-year contract by the cash-strapped City board despite his injury, the pressure is on Sun Jihai to recapture the form he was showing before he suffered the blow, in the stunning victory over Chelsea last October.

At that point, Sun was producing some of the best performances of his time in England, proving his versatility by moving into central midfield after previously occupying a full-back berth.

Pearce resisted the temptation to push his players back into action in the last few weeks of the campaign and instead allowed the player to return home and work on his fitness with his father, a qualified athletics coach.