Zhang Yuan (footballer)

Zhang Yuan
张远

Personal information
Full name	Zhang Yuan
Date of birth	December 8, 1989
Place of birth	Beijing, China
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1.2 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current team	Beijing Renhe
Number	8
Youth career
	Renmin University High School
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2008–2011	Chengdu Blades	90	(12)
2012–	Guangzhou R&F	105	(9)
2016–	→ Beijing Renhe (loan)	0	(0)
National team^‡
2007–2008	China U-20
2009–2011	China U-23
2012–	China	2	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 November 2015. † Appearances (goals) ‡ 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 footballer who currently plays for Beijing Renhe in the China League One.

Club career

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.^[1] 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.^[2] 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.^[3] 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.^[4]

On 2 January 2012, Zhang transferred to Chinese Super League side Guangzhou R&F.^[5] 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.^[6][7]

International career

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.^[8] 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.^[9]

References

1. "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.
2. "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.
3. "Chengdu Blades demoted". fifa.com. 23 February 2010. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
4. "China 2010". rsssf.com. 21 Jun 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
5. 张远年薪三百万签约广州富力 at sports.sohu.com 2012-01-02 Retrieved 2016-02-28
6. 品拓互联-www.dotodo.net. "关于球员张远租借公告-公告". www.gzrffc.com.cn. Retrieved 2016-03-12.
7. 人和官方宣布租借富力边锋 at sports.sohu.com 2016-02-26 Retrieved 2016-02-28
8. "MATCH SUMMARY" (PDF). the-afc.com. 1 Nov 2008. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
9. "Sweden vs. China PR 1-0". soccerway.com. 6 September 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-17.

External links

• Player profile at Chengdu Blades website
• Player stats at Sohu.com