Sun Xiang

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Sun.
Sun Xiang
孙祥
Personal information
Full nameSun Xiang
Date of birth15 January 1982
Place of birthShanghai, China
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing positionLeft back
Club information
Current team
Shanghai SIPG
Number32
Youth career
1995–2001Shanghai Cable 02
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2002–2010Shanghai Shenhua136(13)
2007→ PSV Eindhoven (loan)5(0)
2008–2009→ Austria Wien (loan)19(2)
2010–2014Guangzhou Evergrande110(3)
2015–Shanghai SIPG7(0)
National team‡
2000–2001China U-20
2002–2003China U-23
2002–China69(5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 26 April 2015.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 26 April 2015

Sun Xiang (simplified Chinese: 孙祥; traditional Chinese: 孫祥; pinyin: Sūn Xiáng; born 15 January 1982) is a Chinese footballer who currently plays for Shanghai SIPG in the Chinese Super League.

Sun initially gained recognition for his performances with Shanghai Shenhua along with his identical twin brother and fellow footballer Sun Ji before he joined PSV Eindhoven who included him in the 20 February 2007 UEFA Champions League 1-0 win over Arsenal, which resulted in Sun becoming the first Chinese footballer to play in that competition.[1] He would go on to have a brief stint with Austria Wien before he returned to China and joined Guangzhou Evergrande.

Club career

Shanghai Shenhua

Sun Xiang started his football career playing for Shanghai Cable 02 before the club were taken over by Shanghai Shenhua. He was then promoted to their first eam at the beginning of the 2002 league season with his twin brother Sun Ji where they would both quickly establish themselves within their team. The following season he would become Shanghai's first choice left-back within the team and go on to win the 2003 league title with them.[2] Unfortunately, during the 2013 season, the Chinese Football Association would revoke the league title after it was discovered the Shanghai's general manager Lou Shifang had bribed officials to be bias towards the club in certain games that season.[3][4]

PSV Eindhoven

After gaining recognition for his performances with Shanghai Shenhua, Sun and his twin brother Sun Ji would both attract the interests of foreign teams and had a trial with Eredivisie side PSV Eindhoven late in 2006, but PSV decided they would not sign the pair. PSV would have a change of heart and decided to sign the defender on loan for the latter half of the 2006-07 season with an option to sign him on a three-year contract at the end of the season. The announcement came a day after Sun appealed to be released by his club. "The Dutch proposal is a great opportunity for me to take my career to a new level and I just can't let it slip through my fingers," Sun told the Shanghai Daily. "I am appealing to Shenhua to let me go," he said before the deal.

He would make his debut on 17 February 2007 against Heracles Almelo as a left back with the manager Ronald Koeman remarking that Sun had a deserving debut and contributed to PSV through his good vision and precise passing. His debut would make him the first ever Chinese footballer to play in the Eredivisie. After the end of his loan period, he was rejected by PSV and not awarded with a long-term contract despite appeals from the player of his desire to stay with the Dutch side.[5] Vitesse had shown interest but negotiations with Shanghai stalled and eventually fell through.

Austria Wien

On 1 July 2008, Austrian Bundesliga side Austria Wien signed Sun on a one-year deal with the possibility of a one year extension. Like before in the Eredivisie and UEFA Champions League, Sun had the honour of being the first ever Chinese footballer to play in the Austrian Bundesliga.[6] Once again when his loan period expired, he would return to Shanghai Shenhua where he would play the remainder of the 2009 league season.

Guangzhou Evergrande

On 28 April 2010, Sun announced that he would give up joining A-League side Sydney FC and signed a long-term contract with the recently relegated Guangzhou Evergrande instead.[7] He would make his China League One debut for Guangzhou with fellow recently signed Chinese international Zheng Zhi on 21 July 2010 in a 10-0 home win against Nanjing Yoyo. On 18 September 2010, Sun scored his first goal for the club in a 2-1 win against Yanbian FC. In the 2010 season, Sun scored one goal in fourteen appearances as Guangzhou finished first place in the second tier and won promotion back to the top flight at the first attempt. The following season Sun would continue to be a major part of the club that would invest heavily in improving the squad and with the club bringing in two-time Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Player of the Year award winner Darío Conca the club would win its first ever top tier league title at the end of the 2011 season.

Shanghai SIPG

On 5 January 2015, Sun transferred to fellow Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG on a free transfer.[8] He made his debut for the club on 7 March 2015 in a 2-1 win against Jiangsu Sainty.

Career statistics

Club statistics

SeasonTeamCountryDivisionAppsGoals
2000Shanghai Cable 02 China3
2001Shanghai Cable 02 China3
2002Shanghai Shenhua China1252
2003Shanghai Shenhua China1252
2004Shanghai Shenhua China1200
2005Shanghai Shenhua China1223
2006Shanghai Shenhua China1152
2006-07PSV Eindhoven Netherlands150
2007Shanghai Shenhua China1142
2008Shanghai Shenhua China140
2008-09Austria Wien Austria1192
2009Shanghai Shenhua China1112
2010Shanghai Shenhua China100
2010Guangzhou Evergrande China2141
2011Guangzhou Evergrande China1251
2012Guangzhou Evergrande China1250
2013Guangzhou Evergrande China1231
2014Guangzhou Evergrande China1230
2015Shanghai SIPG China170
Total27718

International goals

Results list China's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
119 June 2005China Changsha Costa Rica 2–2 2–2 Friendly international
231 July 2005South Korea Daejeon South Korea 1–0 1–1 2005 East Asian Football Championship
311 October 2006Jordan Amman Palestine 2–0 2–0 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualifier
422 June 2008Australia Sydney Australia 1–0 1–0 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
56 October 2011China Shenzhen United Arab Emirates 1–0 2–1 Friendly international

Honours

Club

Shanghai Shenhua

PSV Eindhoven

Austria Wien

Guangzhou Evergrande

International

China PR national football team

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Sun Xiang Makes Chinese History". goal.com. 20 July 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  2. ↑ "China 2003". rsssf.com. 18 April 2004. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  3. ↑ "Details of soccer referee investigation released to public". chinadaily.com.cn. 2011-03-31. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
  4. ↑ "China Strips Shenhua of 2003 League Title, Bans 33 People for Life". english.cri.cn. 18 February 2013. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
  5. ↑ "Dutch courage not enough for Sun Xiang". shanghaiist.com. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  6. ↑ "Sun Xiang joins Austria Vienna". fifa.com. 2 July 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  7. ↑ 现身中甲新贵恒大训练场 孙祥不出国门留守广州 (in Chinese). sports.sohu.com. 28 April 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  8. ↑ 上海上港官方宣布孙祥自由身加盟球队 at sports.sina.com 2015-01-05 Retrieved 2015-01-05

External links

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Li Weifeng		 China national football team captain
2012 		Succeeded by
Zheng Zhi
Preceded by
Wang Shenchao		 Shanghai SIPG captain
2015– 		Succeeded by
Incumbent