Zhang Yuan (footballer, born 1989)

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Zhang Yuan
张远
Zhang Yuan in 2019.
Personal information
Full name Zhang Yuan
Date of birth (1989-12-08) December 8, 1989 (age 34)
Place of birth Beijing, China
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre-back,
Right-back,
Right winger
Youth career
Renmin University High School
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2011 Chengdu Blades 90 (12)
2012–2016 Guangzhou R&F 105 (9)
2016Beijing Renhe (loan) 21 (2)
2017–2023 Shenzhen FC 126 (1)
International career
2007–2008 China U-20
2009–2011 China U-23
2012 China 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 31 December 2022
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 4 November 2013

Zhang Yuan (Chinese: 张远; pinyin: Zhāng Yuǎn; born 8 December 1989) is a Chinese professional footballer who plays as a centre-back, right-back or right winger.

Club career[edit]

Zhang Yuan would show a keen interest in baseball and football while in primary school, he chose to play football in the fifth grade and then systemly received football training in Renmin University High School. He was scouted by the Chinese under-20 national team manager Liu Chunming who recommended him to Chengdu Blades. Chengdu would transfer him into their squad at the beginning of the 2008 league season. His height and speed would see Zhang quickly included into the club's first team and he would make his league debut on 29 March 2008 against Liaoning Whowin in a 1-1 draw.[2] Often used out on the wings to utilize his speed, Zhang would gain considerable playing time and go on to score his first league goal on 17 May 2008 against Changsha Ginde in a 1-1 draw.[3] By the following season, Zhang was an established player within the first team, however the club were relegated to the second tier at the end of the 2009 league season when it was discovered that the club match-fixed several games in 2007 when the club won promotion.[4] Zhang would decide to remain faithful towards the club and would go on to play in twenty-one games, scoring five goals in the process when he helped guide the club to second within the league at the end of the 2010 league season gaining immediate promotion back into the Chinese Super League.[5]

On 2 January 2012, Zhang transferred to Chinese Super League side Guangzhou R&F.[6] He would make his debut on 16 March 2012 in a league game against Guangzhou Evergrande F.C. that ended in a 2-0 victory.[7] After the game he would go on to establish himself as a vital member of the team and by the 2014 Chinese Super League campaign he would aid the team to their highest ever league position of third and qualification for the AFC Champions League for the first time.[8] After playing more than 100 times for the club, mainly on the right wing, on 26 February 2016 Zhang was loaned to China League One side Beijing Renhe until 31 December 2016.[9][10]

In December 2016, Zhang transferred to China League One side Shenzhen FC.[11] His debut appearance would be on 12 March 2017 against Dalian Transcendence F.C. in a league game that ended in a 6-0 victory.[12] Immediately establishing himself as a vital member of the team he go on aid the club to gain promotion to the top tier at the end of the 2018 China League One campaign.[13]

International career[edit]

After being scouted by Liu Chunming, he would include him in his squad that part in the 2008 AFC U-19 Championship where he would play three games and score one goal against Tajikistan in a tournament that saw China get knocked out in the quarter-finals.[14] He would go on to be promoted to the Chinese under-23 national team and take part in the 2010 Asian Games, where he was used in defense by the manager Sun Wei, nevertheless he would go on to play in all four games for China where they were knocked out in the last sixteen. His promotion within the national team would continue when he made his debut for the Chinese national team on 6 September 2012 when he played in a friendly match against Sweden in a game that China lost 1-0.[15]

Career statistics[edit]

Statistics accurate as of match played 31 December 2022.[16]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Chengdu Blades 2008 Chinese Super League 18 2 - - - 18 2
2009 26 4 - - - 26 4
2010 China League One 19 5 - - - 19 5
2011 Chinese Super League 27 1 1 0 - - 28 1
Total 90 12 1 0 0 0 0 0 91 12
Guangzhou R&F 2012 Chinese Super League 29 5 0 0 - - 29 5
2013 27 3 2 0 - - 29 3
2014 27 1 2 0 - - 29 1
2015 22 0 2 0 6 0 - 30 0
Total 105 9 6 0 6 0 0 0 117 9
Beijing Renhe (Loan) 2016 China League One 21 2 0 0 - - 21 2
Shenzhen 2017 29 0 0 0 - - 29 0
2018 28 0 1 0 - - 29 0
2019 Chinese Super League 16 1 1 0 - - 17 1
2020 15 0 0 0 - - 15 0
2021 12 0 4 0 - - 16 0
2022 26 0 0 0 - - 26 0
Total 126 1 6 0 0 0 0 0 132 1
Career total 342 24 13 0 6 0 0 0 361 24

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Zhang Yuan" (in Chinese). Shenzhen F.C. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  2. ^ "杰弗森08首球裁判惹争议 成都1-1辽宁 视频 评". sports.sohu.com. 2008-03-29. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
  3. ^ "张远头球文虎一扳平 长沙主场1-1成都 视频 评". sports.sohu.com. 2008-05-17. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
  4. ^ "Chengdu Blades demoted". fifa.com. 23 February 2010. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
  5. ^ "China 2010". RSSSF. 21 Jun 2012. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
  6. ^ 张远年薪三百万签约广州富力 at sports.sohu.com 2012-01-02 Retrieved 2016-02-28
  7. ^ "GUANGZHOU CITY VS. GUANGZHOU FC 2 - 0". soccerway.com. 2012-03-16. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  8. ^ "China 2014". RSSSF. 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  9. ^ "关于球员张远租借公告-公告". www.gzrffc.com.cn. Retrieved 2016-03-12.
  10. ^ 人和官方宣布租借富力边锋 at sports.sohu.com 2016-02-26 Retrieved 2016-02-28
  11. ^ 深足签下快马张远 at sz.gov.cn 2016-12-13. Retrieved 2017-01-03 (in Chinese)
  12. ^ "China » League One 2017 » 1. Round » Shenzhen FC - Dalian Transcendence 6:0". worldfootball.net. 2017-03-17. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  13. ^ "China 2018 > China League One". RSSSF. 2020-10-08. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  14. ^ "MATCH SUMMARY" (PDF). the-afc.com. 1 Nov 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 19, 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
  15. ^ "Sweden vs. China PR 1-0". soccerway.com. 6 September 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
  16. ^ 张远 at sodasoccer Retrieved 2019-01-05 (in Chinese) Archived 2019-02-07 at the Wayback Machine

External links[edit]