option would have caused Dong to lose his Chinese citizenship and was never considered. On 15 December 2006, almost three years after his original signing, Dong was finally given a work permit to play in England, having made enough appearances for the Chinese national team in the preceding two years. With his eligibility confirmed, he was recalled from Royal Antwerp having started the season with 11 goals in 15 appearances, given a new contract until 2010, and added to Manchester United's first-team squad on 17 January 2007. Dong made his Old Trafford debut in a friendly charity match against a European XI on 13 March 2007, coming on as a substitute for Alan Smith in the 72nd minute of the 4–3 win. He was a regular for the Manchester United reserves, and on 9 May 2007, Dong made his Premier League debut, partnering Ole Gunnar Solskjær up front against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. He made a further appearance for the club at Old Trafford, playing the entire match in a 2–0 defeat to Coventry City in the League Cup on 26 September 2007. On 12 December 2007, Dong made his first UEFA Champions League appearance as a substitute against Roma in the last group stage match of the 2007–08 season, replacing fellow striker Wayne Rooney. With that appearance, Dong became the second ever Chinese player to participate in the UEFA Champions League after Sun Xiang. However, he was able to score four goals in three matches for the reserves before suffering an injury. Prior to the start of the 2008–09 season, Dong was not given a squad number, with the number 21 shirt given to Rafael. On 28 August 2008, Dong and Manchester United mutually agreed that his contract was to be terminated in order for him to find first-team football elsewhere. Dalian Shide On 27 August 2008, Dong returned to Dalian Shide. His experience at Manchester United meant that expectations of him were high, but his performances in the league upon his return were very poor. Dong struggled to score goals and was relegated to the reserves as a result. His poor performances in the league also prevented him from being called up for the Chinese national team. Return to Europe After attending a training camp with Polish club Legia Warsaw, Dong signed an 18-month deal with an option for two more years, depending on his performances with the