Head coach Li claims injury ruined EPL stint

China head coach Li Tie has lamented the injury which he blames for cutting short his English Premier League career.

Having impressed in an initial loan deal from Liaoning, Li was signed permanently by Everton in 2003. However, he soon found himself sidelined when he broke his right leg in a World Cup qualifier against Kuwait after colliding with China teammate Yang Pu.

“Had it not been for the fracture I suffered in the national team, I would have been able to play more games in the Premier League. That would have been fantastic,” Li wrote on social media on Saturday.

Li left Everton for Sheffield United in 2006 but struggled for game time with the Blades. He returned to China in 2008 and three years later retired from playing.