1997: Former England international Bobby Houghton became the first Briton to be appointed head coach of the Chinese national team.

1999: Manchester United, one of the most popular clubs in Europe, made its first preseason tour in China. Alex Ferguson's side played a friendly with Shanghai Shenhua FC.

2002: Sun Jihai became the first Chinese player to debut in the English Premier League and the first to score a goal while playing for Manchester City.