Frank Soo - Footballer and Manager
Frank Soo was born in Derbyshire on the 8th March 1914 his father was Chinese and his mother English. Soo was the first player of East Asian descent to play professional football in England and the first non-white footballer to represent England at any level.
He grew up in Stoke-on-Trent in the UK, where his footballing skill caught the attention of Stoke City. Stoke City signed Soo as a professional player in 1933. During his football career he also played for Leicester City, Chelmsford City and Luton Town. Between 1933 and 1945 Soo made over 200 appearances for Stoke City, he became a well-known local celebrity.
In 1942, during the Second World War, Soo became the first player of Asian heritage to wear an England shirt. However, even though the match was high-profile, such wartime internationals weren’t considered official England caps. Soo made a total of nine wartime appearances for England however he never received a full England cap in official matches.
Soo played for Luton - 1936
After the war Soo became a football manager coaching clubs across Scandinavia - he had success in Sweden. He also coached in Italy including time with Padova in Serie A team. Soo went on to manage national teams including Norway, Israel, and China.
Not much is known about Soo’s life from the mid-1960s after his last managerial role.
Frank Soo passed away in 1991.