WHEN Chinese starlet Dong Fangzhuo signed for Man United in 2004 for a potential fee of £3.5 million big things were expected.
He was the first East Asian player to move to Old Trafford and Sir Alex Ferguson believed he had the "speed and physicality" to make it in the Premier League, calling the forward an "explosive" talent.
But after a failing to live up to his promise, even after former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo tried to help him revive his career in Portugal, he ended up on football's scrapheap.
In 2015, at the age of just 29, Fangzhuo was without a club and was struggling to stay fit.
Overweight, he appeared on a Chinese TV show where he underwent plastic surgery on his jowly face.
Now 37, Fangzhuo's story is one of a rapid rise, followed by a swift decline that resulted in a devastating anticlimax.
'REALLY STRONG'
At 18, Fangzhuo was identified by United's scouts as one for the future and was immediately snapped up from Dalian Shide, the most successful club team in China.
"He went straight into the reserves and was tipped to do big things," former United under-18s coach Paul McGuinness told Bleacher Report.
"He was a strong player—really strong. That is what struck us, that a player from Asia would have that level of strength."
But there was one problem. Because he hadn't played for China's national side, he had no chance of getting a work permit and getting first team action.
Desperate to blood Fangzhuo, United immediately arranged a loan deal with Belgian club Royal Antwerp.
They were a feeder club for the English giants, and at the time Belgium had relaxed laws allowing young non-European players the opportunity to play without any complicated paperwork getting in the way.
"It wasn't the same as just sending players out on loan – we had guys there working for us," McGuinness said.
He was a strong player—really strong. That is what struck us, that a player from Asia would have that level of strength."
"Warren Joyce and Andy Welsh were there for anything for the players. The fans there were fanatical, and that would have been a tremendous experience for any young lad.
"The Belgium league had a real mix of players from all over the world – great for someone like Dong, who felt like a real alien in Manchester."
ROYAL ANTWERP
From the offset, Fangzhuo's raw skills impressed his new coaches in training.
And even if he did get off to a slow start, scoring just once in his first nine games, it was obvious that he had the ability to make the grade.
Former Antwerp coach Regi Van Acker revealed: "He was a great player. Very strong, quite tall, very fast, and when he shot at goal, it was like a bomb – so powerful.
"He did everything we asked of him in training and did extra personal training on his body. He seemed happy. Sir Alex Ferguson and (former United solicitor) Maurice Watkins visited Antwerp regularly. All was well."
The goals soon started to come and he finished with seven from 22 appearances, and would've had more if it wasn't for injuries and international call-ups.
And in his second season, with Antwerp playing in Belgium's second division, Fangzhuo finished as the league's top scorer with 18 goals.
His rapid progress meant a work permit finally arrived in December 2006, and he was recalled by Ferguson who planned on integrating him into his first team squad.
BACK TO UNITED
After Man United had clinched their 17th title in 2007, Fangzhuo was handed his debut against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
The game started in bizarre fashion for the then 21-year-old as John Terry and Co. gave the Red Devils' second string a guard of honour as they ran on to the pitch.
Partnering Ole Gunnar Solskjaer upfront, he was replaced by Wayne Rooney after 73 minutes in a 0-0 bore draw, but showed some nice touches.
The following 2007-08 season he played in a League Cup match against Coventry City, in which United fell to a shock 2-0 defeat.
And later that campaign, Fangzhuo appeared in the Champions League, coming on for Rooney in a group stage match against Roma.
DECLINE IN FORTUNES
On and off the pitch Fangzhuo suffered with the language barrier. Coupled with a crippling shyness, he rarely spoke to any of his teammates.
"The huge problem was how reserved he was," McGuinness said.
Alongside his struggles learning English, Fangzhuo also found himself spending more time in the physio room than on the pitch.
At the beginning of the 2008-09 season, his squad number was given to Rafael and his contract was terminated mutually so he could find first-team football elsewhere.
Fangzhuo returned to China with Dalian Shide, where expectation was high.
But the pressure got to him and in two seasons (26 games) he failed to find the back of the net.
Hoping to regain his confidence in front of goal, he returned to Europe.
A stint at Legia Warsaw that lasted four games in 2010 was followed by a spell at Portuguese club Portimonense, who gave him an opportunity after a glowing reference from former United teammate Ronaldo.
The final nail in the coffin of his European adventures came in 2011, when things didn't work out at now defunct Armenian club Mika.
UNFULFILLED PROMISE
With his career in taters, Fangzhuo returned to China but found that no one wanted him.
Hunan Billows FC took a chance on him, but he was deemed a rebel in his own country.
He didn't help his cause when he received a six-match ban for flashing the middle finger at Beijing Institute of Technology fans after they taunted him when he was substituted.
And when Fangzhuo bleached his hair blonde, which is deemed disrespectful in the Asian community, there was a media outcry.
Then, there were issues over his professionalism. Stories circulated in the press that he was more into partying and nightclubs than being a footballer.
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Before he turned 30, Fangzhuo decided to retire from the game after struggling with his weight.
Finally, his fall from grace was complete in 2015 when he appeared on a Chinese reality TV show on which he had plastic surgery on his bloated face.
Today, Fangzhuo lives as a recluse and his whereabouts are unknown. But it could've been so different had the boy wonder gone on to achieve what was expected of him.
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