Ex-Manchester City player believes focusing on youth is only way to improve the standard of the game

Sun Jihai, the first Chinese soccer player to score in the English Premier League, believes a new national plan to develop soccer in China could restore the fortunes of the game in the country.

The 38-year-old former Manchester City player was speaking before being inducted in the English Football Hall of Fame in front of Chinese President Xi Jinping at his former club's City Football Academy on Oct 23.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and UK Prime Minister David Cameron watch as Sun Jihai is inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame at the City Football Academy in Manchester. Wu Zhiyi / China Daily

The president has endorsed the new plan, which will involve building 20,000 national soccer training schools with a further 30,000 planned.

"Football in China is not progressing as expected. The football fans in China are far from fully satisfied with the Chinese national football team, in particular," he says.

"Now the Chinese government has provided us with a plan. I believe that football in China will progress in the longer term, under the plan and with the right leadership. It will require time to develop, however, and we must understand that."

The performance of China's national team is a major disappointment to many Chinese, having only once qualified for the World Cup, when it was held in South Korea and Japan in 2002.

China failed to score a single goal in the tournament and was eliminated after losing all three group games. Sun himself was injured when he picked up an ankle injury in the match against Costa Rica.

Xi, a keen soccer fan, said in Manchester that China needed to learn from Britain, which he described as the "birthplace of modern soccer".

Sun, who now plays in China's Super League for Chongqing Lifan and joins British legends Bobby Moore, George Best and Gary Lineker in the hall of fame, says Chinese soccer needed to learn from all advanced soccer playing nations.

"It is not just Britain that China needs to learn from but other strong footballing nations such as Germany," he says.

The former City defender believes the president taking time out in his busy schedule on his state visit to the UK was in itself an important statement.

"It shows how important football is to President Xi, which gives hope to the football community in China. It is very encouraging to players. It is rare to have a president to visit a football club. I think it will be good for Manchester City, too, and will boost the club's popularity in China."