In February 2002, Sun Jihai joined League One team Manchester City from Dalian Shide for 2 million pounds (data), and he became the first Asian player in the history of Blue Moon Club. Sun Jihai made his blue moon debut in Manchester City's 4-2 victory over Coventry. In the position of full-back, he became the darling of Manchester City fans with his solid defense and sharp assists. Six months after joining Manchester City, Sun Jihai joined the Premier League team. In the first round of the Premier League in 2002/03, Manchester City challenged Leeds United, a strong historical team at that time, and Sun Jihai made his debut in the Premier League. Although Manchester City lost 3-0 to Leeds United, Sun Jihai's performance was still remarkable. "China Sun" not only stared at Australian star Kewell defensively, but also shelled the post 35 meters away at 2 1 minute in the first half.