Sun Delin (Chinese: 孙德林; born 20 January 2001), known outside of China as Sterling Seyedin or Dylan Sterling, is an American soccer player who plays as a midfielder.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 20 January 2001 | ||
| Place of birth | Washington, D.C., United States | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Dongguan United | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2017–2021 | Guangzhou City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021–2022 | 1. FC Düren II | 6 | (0) |
| 2022 | Guangzhou City | 1 | (0) |
| 2023– | Dongguan United | 3 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:14, 24 November 2023 (UTC) | |||
Early life edit
Born in Washington, D.C. in the United States to a Chinese mother and an Iranian-American father, Sun's family moved to Guangzhou, China shortly after his birth.[2]
As well as taking an interest in football at a young age, he also played a lot of other sports, most notably martial arts, winning a number of gold medals in international tournaments.[2] He also played basketball as a child, and featured in a commercial with NBA player Kevin Garnett.[2]
Club career edit
Sun first started playing football at a young age, and while preparing to star in the lead role in a film called "Little Flag Raiser" - a film about a boy who likes to play football - he was given the opportunity to train with a women's football team at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium in preparation for the role.[2] He also received personal football training from former Chinese international Chi Minghua.[2]
At the age of sixteen, Sun joined the academy of professional side Guangzhou City.[3] He progressed through the academy, before moving to Germany in 2021 to sign with 1. FC Düren.[4][5] While in Germany, he featured solely for the reserve team of FC Duren.
In 2022, he returned to China and re-joined Guangzhou City, going on to make his debut in the Chinese FA Cup, providing an assist for Wu Chengru's goal in the 1–0 win over Xi'an Ronghai.[6] He would go on to make two more appearances for Guangzhou City, including one in the Chinese Super League, but left the club following its dissolution at the conclusion of the 2022 season.
He joined China League One side Dongguan United in August 2023.[7]
Acting career edit
Sun took an interest in acting from a young age, and appeared in his first television commercial at the age of one year and four months old.[2] By the age of eleven, he had featured in almost 1000 commercials, as well as being cast in a number of TV shows and movies.[2] In October 2022, he was cast to play an adult Kang Qizu in Kang's Family, rather than the actors who had previously portrayed Kang.[8]
Career statistics edit
Club edit
- As of 24 November 2023.[9]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| 1. FC Düren II | 2021–22 | Landesliga Mittelrhein | 6 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| Guangzhou City | 2022 | Chinese Super League | 1 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Dongguan United | 2023 | China League One | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Career total | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | ||
- Notes
- ^ Appearances in the Chinese FA Cup
References edit
- ^ Sun Delin at WorldFootball.net
- ^ a b c d e f g "中美混血冠军曾扮演李小龙弟弟" [The Chinese-American mixed-race champion once played the role of Bruce Lee's brother]. qqgfw.com (in Chinese). 25 August 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
- ^ "康家小将多重身份，演员or球员？广州城队主力球员孙德林来咯！" [The young general of the Kang family has multiple identities, actor or player? Sun Delin, the main player of the Guangzhou City team, is here!]. k.sina.com.cn (in Chinese). 23 September 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
- ^ Zheng, Caixiong (20 August 2021). "China-trained soccer phenom joins Germany club". chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
- ^ "从广州到科隆，这是他的故事" [From Guangzhou to Cologne, this is his story]. sohu.com (in Chinese). 19 September 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
- ^ "孙德林首秀献助攻，广州城晋级足协杯第三轮" [Sun Delin provided assists in his debut, Guangzhou City advanced to the third round of the FA Cup]. new.qq.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 26 April 2023.
- ^ "官宣 - 球员孙德林、张迅伟加盟东莞莞联足球俱乐部" [Official announcement - Players Sun Delin and Zhang Xunwei join Dongguan Guanlian Football Club]. sohu.com (in Chinese). 3 August 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ^ "《外来媳妇本地郎》三代康保罗：谢恩退出康家，孙德林比阿祖还老" ["Migrant Wives, Local Husbands" Three Generations of Kang Paul: Shane quits the Kang family, Sun Delin is older than Azu]. sohu.com (in Chinese). 1 April 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ^ Sun Delin at Soccerway