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Hao Haidong completes England club move
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-02-04 03:01
China's Hao Haidong has completed his on-off move to Sheffield United after
clearing up a legal row over unpaid business debts, the English club said on
Thursday.
 A Chinese court had banned the 34-year-old striker from leaving the
country because he had failed to repay debts of $520,000 paid to the player's
boot company in 2002.
But Hao is now set to arrive in England later this month after resolving the
problem before the January transfer window closed.
"We have worked tremendously hard on this deal and are pleased that we have
now got the green light to bring Hao over here," United vice-chairman Terry
Robinson told the club's website.
"Hao is just waiting for a visa to give him UK residency, which will be
granted after the Chinese New Year."
The Chinese New Year lasts for three days from February 9.
A former bad boy of Chinese soccer, Hao has become a talismanic figure for
China and played more than 90 times for his country.
His club Dalian Shide agreed to let him move as a reward for his
distinguished service at the club.
Hao was banned for a year after spitting at a referee in 1998 and became
embroiled in a public row with former China coach Bora Milutinovic over the
Yugoslav's selection policy in 2001.
United manager Neil Warnock lined up Hao in a bid to gain access to the Far
East's lucrative market.
The club run an academy on China's southern Hainan island and have invited
several young Chinese players to train in Sheffield.
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