Trent Sainsbury has fired back at detractors of his big-money move to China Super League (CSL) side Jiangsu Suning, saying he cares little what critics have had to say about his decision to leave the Eredivise at 24.
Sainsbury was among a handful of high-profile foreigners to link up with Jiangsu and the CSL more broadly, including Alex Teixeira (Jiangsu), Jackson Martinez (Guangzhou Evergrande) and Fredy Guarin (Shanghai Shenhua).
Among those critical of the former Central Coast Mariner’s move to the world’s most populous country, not previously known for its football pedigree, was former Melbourne Victory captain Adrian Leijer, who himself spent time in China with Chongqing Lifan as a 28-year-old.
Leijer believes the move was the wrong one for Sainsbury with his best footballing years for club and country still ahead of him.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Football Show, Sainsbury took a swipe at critics and quelled fears of a form dip, arguing Jiangsu management’s sales pitch went beyond the promise of personal wealth.
“Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. But these days, just because you’ve got an opinion, it doesn’t mean you’re right,” Sainsbury said.
“Macca (Daniel McBreen) said his bit, Adrian said his bit and I’m sure everyone else has got their bit to say, but at the end of the day, I don’t care what they think, it’s what I do. The money on offer in China is too good to turn down.
“Suning (Commerce Group) took over the club last year. They’ve invested heavily in the club, they’ve got their vision to become the next big powerhouse in Asian football and they want to win the Asian Champions League within the next three to five years.
“One of the first points that they pointed out to me was that China, over the next 25 years, has a $500 billion war chest for football to develop from the ground up.
“It shows you they’re serious about the football side of things and the development side of things, but at the same time, they’re bringing in players that aren’t past their heyday. They’re not just for the name on the back of the shirt. They’re players that are still playing at the peak of their powers.
“It shows that they’re serious about competing on the international stage and getting all their players to be playing in good leagues.”
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