Feature: The Chinese player that time forgot

As former Manchester City star Sun Jihai - the first Chinese player to score a goal in the English Premier League - prepares to see his name added to England's Hall of Fame, another Chinese player remains virtually forgotten.

Yet Soo Hong Ying - known more than half a century ago as Frank Soo - was the first non-white player to wear an England shirt, appearing for the country nine times during the 1940s. ( Soo stood shoulder-to-shoulder alongside the greatest, and still revered stars of mid-20th century football. He was on first names terms with famous stars such as Matt Busby, Joe Mercer, Stanley Matthews and Tom Finney.

Yet despite making history in the 1940s, there is no place for Soo, the son of a Chinese laundry owner in Liverpool, of the National Football Museum.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Soo's 85-year-old nephew John Soo spoke of his regret that the uncle who was the pride of the family had never been recognized for his achievements.

"It is as though he is the player time forgot, yet in his day he was hero worshipped at Stoke City where he was a player.

"Looking Chinese, he did face racism on the terraces but he just let it flow over his head," said John Soo as he thumbed his way through a prized family possession, his uncle Frank's personal photo album.

It seems because Frank Soo played for the national team during the dark days of World War II, the matches were never given the recognition of peacetime games.

"Uncle Frank was playing for a local team called Prescot Cables and he was spotted by scouts as a potential great player. Loads of teams wanted him but Frank settled on Stoke City where he played alongside the great Sir Stanley Mathews. He was paid 6 pounds a week, a far cry from the wages players earn today which run into hundreds of thousands of pounds a week. But Frank loved the game and said it wasn't about the money."

His debut in November 1933 made him the first player of Chinese descent to play in the English football league. His 'inch perfect' crosses became his hallmark.

Soo is remembered though by football historian Phil Vasili in his book, Colouring Over the White Line, published in 2000, which also discusses another Chinese player Sammy Chung.

Vasili's book describes Soo as one of the best inside forward players in pre-war Britain. As Vasili pointed out: "He played nine games for England during the war (WW2), however as these wartime internationals were 'unofficial' no cap was awarded, and therefore don't figure in the statistics."

Vasily added: "In what seems, in hindsight, a small-minded example of petty spit he was not selected (for England) once peace resumed and the status of full internationals restored. If we ignore the FA's designation of international matches as official/unofficial he (Frank Soo) holds the honor of being the first man of color to play for England."

Soo's career at Stoke City spanned 12 years, and as Vasily pointed out, "Like many players of his generation, the war stole his best years." As Soo's playing career ebbed he moved to a number of clubs in England before heading to mainland Europe where he had a successful coaching career in football management. He coached the Norway national team as well as a number of Swedish, Danish and Norwegian clubs.

Another England international, Stan Mortensen, in his book 'Football is My Game' paid tribute to Soo saying "Everything he did was hall-marked....he seemed incapable of a clumsy movement."

Nephew John Soo said: "We are so proud, even to this day of Frank. He was part of footballing history, the first non-white player to play for England. We hope even now, after all of these years, he will one day be recognized. When he came here to Liverpool to visit us he was always so charming. His father had been a seaman who opened a laundry and when Frank was a player, even at Stoke, his wages were halved to 3 pounds a week during the close season. So he would come to Liverpool to help out his dad in the laundry. I can't ever recall him talking about his Chinese roots, he just got on with his life."

Frank Soo died, from senile dementia on January 25, 1991, aged 76, taking his thoughts and memories of an amazing career in football to his grave.

January sees the 25th anniversary of his passing, maybe, said one observer, an opportune moment to commemorate one of the greatest ever Chinese players in English football. Endi