Rio de Janeiro, April 5 (IANS): Brazilian giants Botafogo have invited promising Chinese teenager Tang Shi to join the club on trial with a view of securing the forward in a long-term deal.

Tang caught the eye of Botafogo talent scouts during a tour of Asia by the Rio de Janeiro club's under-19 team last year, reports Xinhua.

The 17-year-old said he is relishing the chance to train with Botafogo's first-team squad.

"It's a big club, very professional and they train very hard," he told Sportv. "Since I arrived they have treated me well and I'm happy here."

Tang, who played in China with Shandong Luneng, has impressed his new Brazilian teammates with his pace and penchant for scoring.

He admitted to looking up to Botafogo's Uruguay international midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro.

"I like the way he plays - he is fast and technically very good on the ball," Tang said.

Despite not playing for the two-time Brazilian champions in an official match, he remains hopeful his time will come soon.

"I want to stay here at Botafogo. But I have to continue working hard to have a chance of playing," he added.