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Published on November 17, 2007

Manchester City's signing of three Thai players, including right full back Suree Sukha, yesterday is being seen as a watershed for Thai football.

Talk of ulterior motives behind the move notwithstanding, the transfer to the Blues, owned by former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, is a giant leap for Thai players, who otherwise stood little chance of breaking on to the game's world stage.

For the players, the City deal might seem like a jackpot, what with the overnight fame and monetary gains - that would far exceed their accumulated earnings so far.

Though the signing of the Thai players will stand out as a tremendous achievement, the most significant gain from Thaksin's takeover of City lies in the club's initiatives to help upgrade the footballing standards in the country.

Thaksin, who bought the Blues in July for US$16.2 million, made no secret of his ambition to transform the club into a global brand.

Asia holds the key to Thaksin's plans. And the Kingdom will have a major role to play in his attempts to expand the Blues' reach in the region.

More Asian flavour has been added to the team that already has included Chinese defender Sun Ji-hai in their ranks.

City have also handed trials to three other Chinese players as part of a link-up with Shanghai Shenhua. Gao Lin, 21, will be joined by 19-year-old goalkeeper Wang Da Lei and 22-year-old midfielder Mao Jianqing at the trial in January.

The club also plans to set up the Manchester City Academy in Thailand and China in a bid to boost the game in Asia. "At the academy, kids will be taught how to play football... I want this academy to be a centre for football training and knowledge for the whole Southeast Asia region," Thaksin said.

The Premier League outfit has announced partnership agreements with a number of clubs.  The clubs will initiate coaching exchanges and youth tournaments, as well as strengthen  marketing opportunities. This will enable City to tap into foreign talent while building the Manchester City brand around the world.

Amid suspicions over the motive behind the move, Thaksin insisted that the signing of Suree, centre-back Kiatprawut Saiwaeo and teenage striker Teerasil Daengda was purely a footballing decision. "Once I had the chance to manage the club, I set my mind that as a Thai patriot, I want to see Thai youth standing at the forefront as international professional players," Thaksin said.

Kitinan Sanguansak

The Nation