Eleílson Farias de Moura (left), Brazilian player of Jiangsu Sainty Football Club, plays at a Chinese Super League game against Beijing Guoan in Beijing in this June 2012 file photo. [Photo/Xinhua]

Brazilian football player Eleílson Farias de Moura, who is one of the best defenders in the China Super League, said he enjoys his life in China.

Eleilson, born in Nova Era - a Brazilian municipality in the state of Minas Gerais - in 1985, has played for the Jiangsu Sainty Football Club for six years. As the foreign player who has been playing for Sainty the longest, he no longer feels that he is a foreigner.

"The club pays me well, and the training place is just five minutes away from where I live," said the 29-year-old, who lives in Nanjing, capital city of Jiangsu province. "People here are very friendly. When I come across fans on the street, they always praise me which makes me feel that my years in China are meaningful.

"Both my wife and I are satisfied with our life in China," continued Eleilson, whose wife just had a baby girl, Mola, last month.

"My wife is now taking care of the baby girl in Brazil," Eleilson said. "They will come to China next year to live with me."

Eleilson said he seldom goes out to bars to have fun. Instead, he spends most of his spare time at home with a dog, which he has kept for almost a year.

"I keep a healthy life to maintain a good physical condition," he said. "I believe I can play for the club until I retire."

Eleilson, whose contract with Sainty will be up in 2015, said he hopes to renew his contract with the club.

"Actually, I don't mind changing my nationality to play for the national team of China," Eleilson said. "They treat me so friendly and make me feel at home."

Wang Chuansong, an official with Sainty, said Eleilson has contributed greatly to the club, and that Sainty appreciates his work.

"We thank him for leading the team into one of the best clubs in China," said Wang. "We will try our best to make sure that his life in China is comfortable and happy."

Though having been spent six years in China, Eleilson said he prefers Brazilian food and often cooks meals after training.

"Like China, Brazil has its own culture of food. Brazilian food tastes nice and it comforts people."

Eleilson said that he thinks both Germany and the Netherlands have a good chance of becoming the champion of this year's World Cup that is being played in his native country.

"Brazil may also have a chance. But I think that a team made of nice individual players may not necessarily make a nice national team."

"China's football team needs to make a great change," added Eleilson. "It needs to have confidence before every game."

Eleilson said he hopes that his daughter can learn Chinese and contribute to the friendship between Brazil and China.

"She will be studying in an international school in Nanjing, learning both Chinese and the native language. I'm looking forward to the family life when she comes to China with her mother."

Contact the writer at cangwei@chinadaily.com.cn