Manchester City's veteran Chinese defender, Sun Jihai, said he was expecting an Olympic experience at next year's Beijing Games to complete his long and diversified career.

 

The 30-year-old is reportedly being considered by Olympic national coach Ratomir Dujkovic as one of three over-aged players who will make the team. The coach normally prefers under-23 footballers.

 

Sun has never played in the Olympic Games - the Chinese men's team hasn't competed there since the 1988 Seoul Games, its only Olympic journey, where it finished with one draw and two losses.

 

"Although I have become much more mature as I've grown older and have more life experience, I couldn't hide my excitement when I heard the news," Sun said during a signing ceremony between China's portal website Sohu.com and English soccer website PremierGoals.com on Tuesday.

 

But whether the Dalian native will actually make the Olympic team is still anybody's guess. He will face pretty stiff competition among fellow senior teammates such as Li Weifeng, Sun Xiang, Shao Jiayi - who plays for German club Energie Cottbus - and Zheng Zhi, who had great success with Charlton in the English Championship.

 

The sophisticated Sun treated the recent speculation with a touch of Zen: "Life is more important than soccer," he said. "I will be happy if I can make it and I won't be sad if I can't. I won't push myself for that."

 

Sun recently won his first starting position of the season for Manchester City, playing the entire game in the team's 1-0 victory over Sunderland on September 6. Competition is also stiff in Manchester, with several new and young players battling for roster spots. But he remains upbeat.

 

"I do feel tired and even a little bit unfamiliar after that match, but I am glad our team won the game," said Sun, who has spent six seasons with the team.

 

"I think I'll find back the feeling on the field."

 

Manchester City head coach Sven Goran Eriksson, who traveled with Sun to Shanghai, gave Sun a reason to be happy about, calling him a utility player who can "play any place in the field".

 

This is the third time the Swede, who formerly served as England's head coach, has visited China. He will open his Chinese blog on Sohu in tandem with Sun.

 

"It can make the club bigger in China," the coach said.

 

Eriksson's club is currently in third place in the English Premiership. He said his next goal is to lead the team into the Champions League tournament, which means the team needs to finish the season in the top six.

 

"I hope I can do it in one year," said Eriksson who signed a three-year contract with the club.

 

(China Daily November 17, 2007)