China's central defender Li Weifeng woke up this morning to find that his long-time dream has come true -- in the upcoming season he will play with Premiership club Everton which he has been longing for.
"I was in Shanghai with Shenzhen Pingan in preparation for tomorrow's Division A match against Shanghai SVA," Li told press, "last night I had a good sleep making no dream. And this morning when I got up, I was told that I have been loaned to Everton."
"Even now I cannot calm myself down," the 23-year-old defender said, "you know when I was a child I dreamed that one day I could go to play in the Premiership. And now it suddenly comes true. I need some time to let it sink in."
Li's windfall move benefited from a sponsorship contract signed between Everton and China Kejian Company, a mobile phone manufacturer.
According to the contract, Kejian would send a player to play with Everton in the upcoming season. They picked Li.
Kejian and Everton kept Li's loan fee and salary in safe lock, citing them as "commercial secrets".
(China Daily July 19, 2002)
