Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
A London-born midfielder emerged Thursday as the latest example of China’s occasionally bumpy effort to become a force in international soccer.
The midfielder, Nico Yennaris, a 26-year-old with little pedigree in Britain, became the first foreign-born player to be called up by China’s national team. China recently adopted a policy of naturalizing talented players with links to China in the hopes that foreign-born talent might improve the routinely underachieving squad, which has qualified for the World Cup only once, in 2002.
Yennaris, who is eligible to play for China through his mother’s heritage, gave up his British citizenship when he signed with Beijing Guoan in the Chinese Super League in January.