The story of Guangzhou's beloved British journalist

Fifteen years ago, Matt Horn was a football columnist in the UK. He never expected to form such a close bond with the Chinese city of Guangzhou.

In the mid-1980s, there were no journalism programs in British universities, so despite his deep love and passion for football (like many people of his age), Matt decided to major in history at the University of Central Lancashire. But this did not change his career aspirations, and he worked as the editor of the school newspaper's sports edition. When he was 21, he was given an exclusive interview with Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson, which he described as "an unforgettable and wonderful experience".

Later in life, he returned to his university and sought further education in journalism. After obtaining a master's degree in 1990, he became a football reporter and has been reporting on football games ever since.

In the ensuing decades, Matt worked all over the UK for different media organizations. And as a football reporter, he witnessed the growth of different teams and players in many memorable football events, such as the 2000 European Cup or the 2002 World Cup.

His relationship with Guangzhou began in 2003 when his wife Alison, whom he married in 1990, got a job teaching at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. He quit his job and accompanied her to Guangzhou, where he thought he would spend only a couple of months.

Matt did not expect that he would get a job teaching journalism at the university, and of course, did not expect to fall in love with Guangzhou.

Throughout his 15 years at the university, Matt has always defined himself as "a journalist engaged in journalism education" rather than "a teacher who used to be a journalist". He used his classroom as a news editorial department and guided students in "producing" news.

Over the years, Matt has trained more than 2,000 students, many of which have entered the media industry after graduating. They have worked as reporters in Guangzhou and around the world, and some have even become their mentor's colleagues. "The most wonderful thing in life is that a reporter sees his student as another successful reporter", Matt said.

In 2004, Matt was invited to serve as a column host for Guangdong Radio and Television and hosted a radio program called My Guangdong, where he interviewed foreigners who came to Guangdong. He was later invited to host a column entitled Facetime.

"I have been working as a journalist for so many years. When I return to the classroom, I can share my experiences with my students. It's terrific."

Throughout his 15 years in Guangzhou, Matt has witnessed the tremendous changes the city has undergone, especially as a football fan. He said he loves to go to bars and see friends. But when he first came to Guangzhou in 2003, it was very difficult to find such a bar; now there are many, and there is craft beer as well. Football is getting more and more popular as well, as foreigners continue to pour into Guangzhou. Matt said it feels great to watch the World Cup.

However, the 52-year-old Brit is getting ready to return to his hometown and bid farewell to Guangzhou. He said that coming to Guangzhou changed his life, and it will always be his second hometown.

Matt has also been recommending Guangzhou to foreigners for many years, saying that there are so many wonderful things in the city still undiscovered by foreigners. He also said that the city should do more to promote itself.