Dong Fangzhuo became the first East Asian player to sign for Manchester United, joining from Chinese side Dalian Shide in 2004 for a fee of £500,000. With bonuses, the deal could have risen to £3.5 million, but those add-ons were never triggered.
The Chinese international soon ran into problems. A work permit issue left him unable to play for the senior side, and he was loaned to Belgian First Division club Royal Antwerp.
Work permit woes and loan spells
In his first season at Antwerp, Fangzhuo scored one goal in nine appearances. During a second campaign, he found the net in six of his first seven games of the season.
After returning to United for a pre-season tour of the Far East, Fangzhuo still lacked a work permit and was sent back to Antwerp, who had by then been relegated to the second tier.
Three senior appearances at Old Trafford
It was not until December 2006, almost three years after signing, that Fangzhuo became eligible to play for Manchester United. He made just three senior appearances before his contract was terminated ahead of the 2008/09 season.
After leaving United, Fangzhuo played in Poland, Portugal, and Armenia before returning to China. The once face of Chinese football retired in 2014.
Facial surgery on Chinese TV
In the years that followed, Fangzhuo reportedly struggled to shake the shame of his footballing decline. A 2016 Marca report claimed he appeared on Chinese television to undergo facial surgery in search of a new identity.
The report read: "Recently the former striker, who retired before turning 30, popped up on Chinese television in search of a fresh identity, physically as well as mentally, as he underwent facial surgery to halt the mockery he faced on a daily basis as a footballing failure."
From once sharing a dressing room with Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, Fangzhuo's story ended with an attempt to change his identity to escape past failures.
