BOLTON, England (AP) - Peter Crouch is no longer the tallest striker in England.
At six foot nine, Yang Changpeng is two inches taller than the England and Liverpool forward.
"I'd very much like to meet him while I'm here," Yang said Wednesday.
The 17-year-old Chinese player is in England for a tryout with Premier League club Bolton. Although Yang is unlikely to receive the work permit needed to play in England, Bolton manager Sam Allardyce is impressed with his height.
"Size is important in the Premiership these days, but size has got to have talent,'' Allardyce said.
Bolton signed a deal with Wuham FC in May to help develop the Chinese club's coaching methods and bring talented players to England.
"The size of the population says they must be producing some good players somewhere in the country to be capable of challenging for top-level football," Allardyce said.
Yang and 17-year-old midfielder Zhou Liao, both members of China's under-21 team, are the first Chinese players to come to Bolton for a trial - but are unlikely to be the last.
"The Chinese league is growing ever faster by the season and no doubt they'll become a bigger force as time goes on," Allardyce said. "If we can tap into that, then all the better."
Yang and Zhou have had to adjust to life in the northwestern city of Bolton since arriving Monday.
"They've had a little bit of a problem with the diet and accepting some of the food," Bolton academy director Chris Sulley said. "Out of politeness, where they were staying they weren't eating a great deal, and certainly the big lad takes some filling up. But the landlord said they must eat and now they have eaten them out of the house."
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GOZILLAAAAAAAAAAAAAA....
At six foot nine, Yang Changpeng is two inches taller than the England and Liverpool forward.
"I'd very much like to meet him while I'm here," Yang said Wednesday.
The 17-year-old Chinese player is in England for a tryout with Premier League club Bolton. Although Yang is unlikely to receive the work permit needed to play in England, Bolton manager Sam Allardyce is impressed with his height.
"Size is important in the Premiership these days, but size has got to have talent,'' Allardyce said.
Bolton signed a deal with Wuham FC in May to help develop the Chinese club's coaching methods and bring talented players to England.
"The size of the population says they must be producing some good players somewhere in the country to be capable of challenging for top-level football," Allardyce said.
Yang and 17-year-old midfielder Zhou Liao, both members of China's under-21 team, are the first Chinese players to come to Bolton for a trial - but are unlikely to be the last.
"The Chinese league is growing ever faster by the season and no doubt they'll become a bigger force as time goes on," Allardyce said. "If we can tap into that, then all the better."
Yang and Zhou have had to adjust to life in the northwestern city of Bolton since arriving Monday.
"They've had a little bit of a problem with the diet and accepting some of the food," Bolton academy director Chris Sulley said. "Out of politeness, where they were staying they weren't eating a great deal, and certainly the big lad takes some filling up. But the landlord said they must eat and now they have eaten them out of the house."
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GOZILLAAAAAAAAAAAAAA....
