Ex-Manchester United 'prodigy' ​Dong Fangzhuo has attempted to counteract his failure to succeed as a footballer by undergoing facial surgery.





The Chinese striker was part of the United squad that won the Premier League under Sir Alex Ferguson in 2007 .

Since being tipped for big things, Dong's career took a dramatic downward spiral and he has recently appeared on a Chinese TV show in search of a new identity, undergoing plastic surgery on his face...seriously.





His fall from footballing grace began at the end of the 2008/09 season when his United contract was terminated.

Dong then had six years in the football wilderness, until, after a short spell at Chinese Super League side Hebei China Fortune in 2014, he retired from football completely.





According to ​Marca, the 31-year-old decided to get facial surgery to "half the mockery he faced on a daily basis as a footballing failure."





Below is a picture of Dong on the Chinese TV show, before surgery, and after.

former @ManUtd “player” Dong Fangzhuo undergoes plastic surgery for a Chinese tv show, still overweight…. pic.twitter.com/mI16YIEio6 — modernleifeng (@modernleifeng) August 21, 2015

Forever remembered as a Manchester United flop, Dong has gone to new lengths to cover up his footballing shortcomings.





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