Summary
Dong Fangzhou's career panned out completely differently to what Sir Alex Ferguson had envisioned for Manchester United's only Chinese player ever.
He only appeared three times for the Red Devils.
After retirement, Fangzhuo made a surprise visit to Old Trafford, underwent plastic surgery, and now coaches players in China.
When Chinese prospect Dong Fangzhuo joined Manchester United in 2004 for a potential £3.5 million fee, expectations were sky-high. He became the first East Asian player to sign for the club, and Sir Alex Ferguson was confident in his potential, praising the young forward’s "speed and physicality" and describing him as an "explosive" talent capable of thriving in the Premier League.
The youngster was plucked from obscurity after just a handful of appearances for his local team, Dalian Shide. But what The Athletic would later call the "Dong Fangzhuo Experiment" may have revolved less around footballing merit and more around a risky transfer strategy - signing a talented Asian player in hopes of also unlocking the lucrative Chinese market, just as commercialisation in football was beginning to boom. If that was the plan, it came at a cost - particularly to the human side of Dong's journey.
By 2015, at just 29 years old, Fangzhuo was without a club and struggling to stay fit. Overweight and out of form, he appeared on a Chinese TV show where he underwent plastic surgery on his jowly face. It was a far cry from what had once been envisioned for him. But his fall from Old Trafford to that low point - and where he is a decade later - is a story worth shedding light on.
Man Utd’s bizarre XI that received 2007 guard of honour from Chelsea - What happened to them? Related
Manchester United 11 That Received Guard of Honour From Chelsea in 2007
A host of Manchester United fringe players received a guard of honour from Chelsea's players in 2007 - but what happened to them?
Dong Fangzhuo's Man United Career
He was quickly cast aside when things didn't go as planned
Manchester United
At barely 18, Fangzhuo was identified by United's scouts as one for the future and was immediately snapped up from Dalian Shide, the most successful club team in China. "He went straight into the reserves and was tipped to do big things," former United under-18s coach Paul McGuinness told Bleacher Report.
"He was a strong player - really strong. That is what struck us, that a player from Asia would have that level of strength."
Looking back at the signing, Darren Fletcher was equally expectant of the young Chinese lad, adding: "He was aggressive, he was quick, he had a great shot. He had attributes. But he was still learning the game and things like that."
But, instantly upon agreeing a deal to move half the world away, there was a problem. Because he hadn't played for China's national side, he had no chance of getting a work permit or getting first-team action. Desperate to blood Fangzhuo, United immediately arranged a loan deal with Belgian club Royal Antwerp.
From the offset, Fangzhuo's raw skills impressed his new coaches in training. And even if he did get off to a slow start, scoring just once in his first nine games, it was obvious that he had the ability to make the grade, eventually finishing his loan spell with seven goals in 22 appearances. And in his second season, with Antwerp playing in Belgium's second division, Fangzhuo finished as the league's top scorer with 18 goals.
His rapid progress meant a work permit finally arrived in December 2006, and he was recalled by Ferguson, who planned on integrating him into his first team squad. After the Red Devils clinched their 17th league title in 2007, Fangzhuo was handed his debut against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge - a bizarre lineup which also included Gabriel Heinze as captain who received a guard of honour.
But through a combination of injuries and a language barrier that meant Fangzhuo very often avoided conversations with his teammates, he only ever made three appearances under Fergie before returning to his homeland to seemingly never be heard of again until retirement, though a video went viral when former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo recognised him in 2024. Watch the reunion below:
How Fangzhuo Fared After Leaving Old Trafford in 2008
The Chinese forward earnt more of a reputation for his antics away from football
Dong Fangzhuo
Fangzhuo returned to China as a celebrity with Dalian Shide, where expectations were that he'd pick things back up from where he left them. But the pressure quickly became too much to shoulder, and across two seasons, he failed to find the back of the net. In a bid to rediscover his shooting boots and confidence, he returned to Europe.
A short-lived stint at Legia Warsaw - just four appearances in 2010 - was followed by a spell at Portuguese side Portimonense, who handed him a chance off the back of a glowing reference from the aforementioned Ronaldo. The final nail in the coffin of his European adventure came in 2011 when things fell apart at now-defunct Armenian club Mika. He returned to China for a third time, but his last-chance saloon turned sour thanks to a series of off-field controversies.
EPL_Ferguson's Final Ever Man Utd Team Related
What Happened to Sir Alex Ferguson's Final Ever Man Utd Team
One player is still playing for the club.
Hunan Billows FC rolled the dice on him in 2012, but his spell ended after just a year, which was capped off by a six-match ban for flipping his middle finger at Beijing Institute of Technology supporters who had taunted him as he was subbed off.
Then came the bleach-blonde hair - a style considered culturally disrespectful by many in Asia - which sparked widespread media backlash. Rumours also swirled about his declining professionalism, with reports suggesting he was more interested in nightclubs than training sessions.
Fangzhuo's Plastic Surgery and Return to Manchester
He paid his old club a surprise visit in 2024
Dong Fangzhuo
Before the age of 30, Fangzhuo hung up his boots, struggling with fitness and form. He wrapped up his career at Hebei, where he scored twice in seven appearances. His fall from grace hit a low in 2015 when he resurfaced on a Chinese reality TV show - undergoing plastic surgery to slim down his visibly bloated face.
As discovered by The Athletic, he had gone on the makeover show through his fear of needles. He opted for skin peel treatment because of his phobia, despite Spanish outlet Marca claiming it was done to 'halt the mockery he faced on a daily basis as a footballing failure.' As a result, that news quickly made its way to UK newspapers, with tabloids trying to paint him as a circus act off the back of it.
But upon returning to Old Trafford at the turn of 2024 to tell his own story, he proved to be the complete opposite - a humble, honest, and hardworking man who now coaches the sport he grew up loving. Reflecting on the club website in 2024, he said:
“Thank you for your support. Maybe you have already forgotten that there used to be a Chinese boy chasing the dream as Manchester United here at Old Trafford. Maybe you have already forgotten me, but I have to say thank you for your support because as a Chinese player, having that opportunity to play in the red shirt at Old Trafford was already a dream come true.”
Having initially struggled to have the same passion for football immediately after retiring, the former Red has since rediscovered his love for the game, and now combines working as a pundit with running the Dong Fangzhuo Football Club in Xiamen, aimed not only at developing players who might one day follow in his footsteps but also at helping youngsters with special needs.
And even from afar, United remains firmly in his heart. Fangzhuo mentioned how he still kept an eye out for how his old team are getting on, proving that, even if things didn't go as planned on the pitch, his heart grew fonder off it.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt (correct as of 13/07/2025)