Ex-Chelsea and West Ham striker Frank Nouble: I have unfinished business in England after 'crazy' China spell
Frank Nouble is striving hard to fulfill his talent after a spell in a country looking to utilise its incredible potential in the world game.
The former West Ham and Ipswich striker is back in England after a year playing in China for Tianjin Quanjian and Nei Mongol Zhongyou.
Many have watched in wonder as the Chinese Super League spent heavily in an attempt to make it a force in the sport, but Nouble got a unique insight as the only Englishman playing in the country.
As a teenager Nouble was tipped for greatness after rejecting a professional contract with Chelsea, deciding to move across London to West Ham instead on a five-year deal.
The striker showed flashes of what he could offer but his career stalled as he was bounced around a number of loan clubs, in between permanent moves to Wolves, Ipswich and lastly Coventry.
Once his deal with the League One club was complete, he sought new pastures in an attempt to reignite his career, but he could never have imagined his destination.
"It came about through an agent I've been close to for a number of years; he rang me when I was on holiday in Mexico and at that time I was trying to speak to other clubs as I'd just finished the season at Coventry," Nouble told ITV News.
"The link was Sven-Goran Eriksson's son, who is working out there bringing foreign players over and he knew the agent. He called to say there was a chance for me to go to China after he'd seen my clips of playing in England and they were interested. I had to make a decision on the spot - it was either yes or no, or they'd go for someone else.
"I'm young enough, so I thought I would go get some experience abroad and see what it's like. It didn't matter that it was China, it could have been anywhere else, but it was a good chance to go abroad and see how I could deal with football and life away from England."
Nouble quickly agreed a two-year deal with Tianjin Quanjian of the Chinese second tier and headed off into the unknown.
The club, who were only founded in 2006, were struggling in the league but Nouble had an instant impact despite the obvious travails of having to adapt to a different culture on and off the pitch.
"My first six months there was my favourite time in China. When I came in we were second from bottom in the league and (we) ended up finishing mid-table," he said.
"I came in July, which is the middle of the season for them. We had a foreign manager and I hit the ground running - in the opening three games, I scored three goals, one in each. We were battling to stay up, we did and I played in every game."
As Nouble succeeded on the pitch, he also did his best to make the most of living in a country completely unlike his homeland.
Not all of Nouble's experiences in China were positive as he had to learn the ways of locals and how different their customs were to what the Lewisham-born forward was used to in England.
"It was harder to adapt off the field. They smoke everywhere and small things like that which I had to deal with. There was a language barrier as they don't make an effort to speak English - you can either speak their language or you'll need someone to help you unless you're in Beijing - so that was a hard thing to adapt to.
"It's dog eat dog out there; there are so many people out there so you can't expect everyone to have the same way of life as you or have the same manners. For example, you can be queuing to get a ticket for the train and people will just push in ahead of you. You can't push in in England. Here it's first come, first served. If you're in Beijing or Shanghai it's lovely (but) anywhere else it can be a bit of a grind.
"The main negative was dealing with Chinese culture. It was very in your face, you can't do what you normally do, you have to adapt. I was there for nine months so I got used to it, but when I first arrived it was a shock; people spit on the floor in front of you, men are burping and farting in front of you, it's just crazy. At the same time, I loved it. So I can't talk it down."
Despite his early success on the pitch, Nouble quickly found out that the business of football was also very different in China.
Once former Real Madrid head coach Wanderly Luxemburgo arrived to coach Tianjin, Nouble's days were numbered due to the fact teams in China can only utilise three foreigners at any one time.
The Brazilian boss brought in a number of his compatriots to fill the allotted spots, permitting Nouble to join Nei Mongol Zhongyou.
"Luxemburgo wanted to sign Luis Fabiano and Jadson - big name players. As the team could only play three foreigners, the three of us that were there at the time were asked to leave. I was the only one with a two-year contract, as I'd just signed, (so) I was asked what I wanted to do.
"I had to decide whether to stay there - you could only play three foreigners, but you could have five overall. But I didn't go to China to sit on the bench, so I looked to see if I could go to another team. In order to earn the same money I was on I was told I could go on loan and the club would pay part of my wages and the other club the rest.
"So I went to another team, where the owner was Luis Figo. I thought it was good to have a foreign guy who knew football in charge so it would be a more European style. He then pulled out of the club and another new owner came in, he brought in two new players and didn't want me so it was all very complicated. The second six months were tricky."
Nouble could see the growth of the sport in China from inside the country and he's confident it will go from strength to strength.
The likes of Graziano Pelle and Ramires have left the Premier League, a competition the locals know well, in order to earn huge money in China and that could just be the start.
But Nouble warned it's not going to be straightforward for the money men of the Chinese Super League.
"Because the country is so big, it's downplayed as there's so much sport. Football is definitely not the number one sport but it's got the most amount of money right now. They're trying to build the reputation of football out there, it's not going to be an overnight thing. It will be 10 years until we can judge it properly. It's only been the last five years in which we've opened our eyes to China, so it's going to take more time.
"Everyone has a Pogba shirt on in Beijing and half of them probably don't know who he is, but have bought the shirt as he's the biggest name on the news. I think it's half and half; I think the people who live in the area of the stadium will have a local shirt so I wouldn't say it's more Arsenal or Man United or anything. Sometimes you get 50,000 or 60,000 in the stadium, half of them won't understand football but they're just there because it's an event."
Now Nouble is England, training with a League One club, as he hopes to settle once again in his homeland and show fans what he is fully capable of.
The 24-year-old former England youth international is now a father and feels he's become a more rounded person following his spell away from home comforts.
"I've got a baby girl now and I've got unfinished business in England, as there are so many players in the academies who have come through the ranks, come into the first team and are making moves. I think I should be doing the same and I want to see what I can do.
"Watching Leicester gave everyone optimism, as a lot of those players got let go or didn't get a chance where they were at and now they're winning the league. That has given me hope that I can come back here and do a job.
"I'm more mature on and off the field than I was before. You can live alone in England but in China it's so different and you have to adapt. I feel I can adapt to anything now. I'll never regret going to China and I'm only 24 so I have a lot more I can do."
As the world watches to see what China does to take over the sport, Nouble, away from the limelight, will be hoping to make his own big impression on football.