Li Tie: Wayne Rooney's ex-Everton teammate sentenced to 20 years in jail over bribery charges

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A former Everton footballer who played alongside Wayne Rooney has been sentenced to 20 years in jail.

Chinese midfielder Li Tie, who played for the Toffees from 2002 until 2006, has been thrown behind bars in his homeland after pleading guilty to bribery. The 47-year-old, who became a manager after his playing days, had been giving and accepting bribes to fix football matches.

In January 2020, he was appointed as manager of the Chinese national team but resigned in December 2021. An investigation was launched by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) the following year, and it emerged that since 2015, he had given and taken more than £16m in bribes.

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It comes as President Xi Jinping attempts to crack down on sporting corruption in China, with former Chinese FA president Chen Xuyuan sentenced to life in prison earlier this year - also for bribery.

Li Tie joined Sheffield United from Everton in 2006.Li Tie joined Sheffield United from Everton in 2006.
Li Tie joined Sheffield United from Everton in 2006. | Matthew Lewis/Getty Images

Appearing on state-broadcast TV, Li said: “I'm very sorry. I should have kept my head to the ground and followed the right path. There were certain things that at the time were common practices in football.”

Evidence suggested that Li even dished out bribes to land the job as China manager.

During his time at Goodison Park, he made 40 apperances and played alongside a teenage Wayne Rooney, who had a meteoric rise to fame before securing a move to Manchester United. Li then moved to Sheffield United before going back to China.

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