What he said

ON HIS TIME AT CRYSTAL PALACE: "You don't get the rewards until you prove yourself capable on the pitch. Teammates will definitely pass you the ball if you earn their trust through your performance."

ON CHINA'S SOCCER LEAGUE: "Chinese soccer is lagging way behind, but I am not discouraged as our professional league is only 20 years old. Those great (foreign) clubs all took a long journey to reach their fame, many over 100 years."

ON CHINA'S WORLD CUP CHANCES: "We have had talented players, many talented players, but we have wasted their talents. I always believe, if everything goes well, in 12 years we can form a mature national team from the youth age groups. If so, we won't miss any more World Cup finals."

ON THE PATH TO RECOVERY: "We, the 2002 boys, are the best candidates. We have been through failures and success. We have tasted the bitter and the sweet. But there are too few opportunities for us to dedicate our experience to Chinese soccer."

(China Daily 04/05/2014 page12)