Sheng Tsung, 16, joins Anelka at Shenhua

While all eyes are on 17-year-old Nazmi Faiz's pre-contract agreement for a three-year deal with Portuguese side Beira-Mar, another young Malaysian is already made waves in China - training alongside former France star Nicolas Anelka.

Tam Sheng Tsung, who turns 17 tomorrow, was unveiled by Shanghai Shenhua on May 10 as the first Malaysian to join the Chinese Super League.

In so doing, he has also become the first player below 20 to be promoted to the club's first team. Anelka, twice an English Premier League winner with Chelsea and Arsenal, is Shenhua's caretaker player-coach after the sacking of coach Jean Tigana last month.

Although dubbed by Chinese media as Malaysia's Cristiano Ronaldo, Sheng Tsung is an unfamiliar name in South-east Asia - even Malaysia Under-23 coach Ong Kim Swee admitted he has never seen him play.

The left-winger was born and raised in Tokyo, where his Malaysian parents run the Rasa Malaysian Cuisine Restaurant in Ginza.

He started playing football when he was nine, and was scouted by Yokohama FC's Under-15 team when he was 13 years old. Sheng Tsung has also had also trained with Brazil's Sao Bernardo and English Championship side Cardiff City.

Shenhua managing director Zhou Jun said of Sheng Tsung's signing: "At the start of his five-month training and trial with us, we did not know that he was actually Malaysian. We believe this young footballer will play at a higher level."

Sheng Tsung said in Japanese: "The competition is quite tough over here... I will work hard and wait for my chance to play in the league. My target is to taste first-team action before 18."

Shenhua, the four-time league champions who are 14th in the 16-team CSL after 11 games, are linked with Anelka's former Chelsea teammate Didier Drogba.

They are also planning to appoint World Cup winner Sergio Batista, who led the Argentina to Olympic gold in 2008.

davidlee@sph.com.sg

This article was first published in The New Paper.