Wang Song, a 40-year-old veteran who plays for Chinese First Division side Shijiazhuang Kung Fu, recently spoke to Football Night on May 13 about whether he is considering becoming a coach.
QUESTION: What's the difference between the players you were 17 years old then and the players you are 17 years old now?
"Back then we were all among the elite and became professional players. Now it may be because there are fewer people playing soccer, but that's not the case. You have to realize that there are a lot of great qualities in people who can survive the fierce competition. There are not many people playing soccer now and the selection is not wide. The youth training model and youth training organizations are uneven, resulting in the fact that professional players are not the cream of the crop. They can only be described as 'the best of the good'. For example, toughness, hard work, perseverance, and all aspects of willpower quality are worse than at that time."
QUESTION: Have you ever considered being a head coach?
"Being a coach is difficult. As a player, I can show my understanding of soccer on the field, but as a coach, your team may not be able to express your tactical ideas well. In the future, when I leave the position of a professional soccer player, maybe I will enjoy the role of a coach, but I am still focused on the role of a player."
QUESTION: You've always been very outspoken, is the soccer world still accommodating to you after all these years?
"On the one hand, I have no problem with my physical base at the competitive level, but you have to realize that there aren't many platforms that are willing to give me a chance to show off for a veteran player like me. A lot of my fan friends might think that a lot of teams are competing for Wang Song, but that's not the case. At an age level, a lot of people won't see you as one of their own, won't trust you, and will think you'll be insubordinate and won't affect the team. So I'm also thankful that Kung Fu gave me this platform and was willing to accept me at my age."
QUESTION: Do you ever think about when you're going to retire?
"If you told me to stop playing all of a sudden, I definitely wouldn't quit. But if I don't have the ability at the competitive level in the future and you tell me to play, I'm not going to play. It's ugly. Like Chira Miura in Japan, it's definitely not what I'm after. I know I'm counting down the days of my soccer life, but I don't know how much longer. I'll just give it my all and cherish the time left in each game."
