Former Chelsea midfielder Oscar says he has no regrets over moving to China as he gears up for his fifth season in the Far East.
The Brazil international brought his four-and-a-half year spell with Chelsea to an end in December 2016 when he made the move to Shanghai SIPG for a reported £60million, a move which raised eyebrows at the time given his age and achievements at Stamford Bridge.
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During his time in west London, Oscar won the Premier League, Europa League and League Cup, scoring 38 goals in 203 appearances in all competitions for the Blues.
The attacking midfielder was a mainstay in the Chelsea side under the likes of Jose Mourinho as well as interim boss Rafa Benitez and has continued to win trophies since making the move to China, helping Shanghai SIPG win the Chinese Super League in 2018.
He is now one of the Chinese Super League’s biggest names, alongside teammate Marko Arnautovic, and is determined to help grow the division’s audience across the world.
Speaking exclusively to talkSPORT, Oscar said: “When I moved, it surprised everyone but at the time, I didn’t play too much at Chelsea. I also had, at that time, some offers from other countries. But I decided to come to China.
“I think when I look back at my decision, it was a good decision for me, for my family and for my football. I’ve improved a lot here and have done some things that I haven’t done before. I’m a little bit older now, so if I look back a little bit, for me, it was a good decision.
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“This is the problem with Chinese football, [as] not everyone looks at the league. The Chinese league has tried to improve a lot, but everyone needs to see the games more here. The quality is good.
“There are a lot of good foreigners coming here and trying their best. There are very good players here. For me, I always try to help the league and try to help my team. Shanghai is a very good club and the target is to win some titles here.”
The former Chelsea man has adjusted to life well in China but hasn’t, perhaps, picked up the language as quickly as his four-year old son, who sometimes acts as his translator.
“My son was born in London but when I came to Shanghai, he was only eight months,” he continues.
“When I arrived here, he had one nanny, but the nanny would only speak in Chinese with him. Now he is four years old, almost five, he speaks very good Chinese, so a lot of the time, he helps me.
“Normally in Shanghai, a lot of the people speak English but if you go to some restaurants, sometimes they don’t speak English and sometimes my son helps me.”
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Since moving to China, though, opportunities at international level for Oscar have dried up, with the 29-year-old’s last cap for Brazil coming in 2015 and last call-up a year later.
Oscar’s spot in the Brazil team has since been taken by the likes of Richarlison, Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Benfica’s Everton but with the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on the horizon, the attacking midfielder says he would relish the chance to play for his country again.
Asked whether he still wants to play for his country, he said: “Of course. Now it is more difficult because in China, like we said before, nobody watches the games too much. I am fit and I’m playing very good football here.
“If they need me, of course I can go again. I’ve already played a lot of games there. I’ve tried my best and I’ve played a World Cup with them. I’ll always support Brazil and if they need me, of course, I will go.”
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