On March 16, Tianjin Daily reported that Zim Tigers head coach Yu Genwei talked about Barton's selection for the national football team, saying that it was also a happy event for the Zim Tigers.
Prior to this, Jinmen Tigers player Barton was added to the national team. This weekend, Barton will travel with the team to New Zealand where he will play two warm-up matches against the New Zealand national team before returning to China on March 28th.
Yu Genwei, head coach of the Jinmen Tigers, never hid his joy at Barton's call-up. Yu Genwei said: "Whether it is Yang Zihao and Shi Yan who were called up by the National Olympic team before, or Barton who was called up by the national team, it is a happy event for the Zimmen Tigers. We will continue to follow up and understand their situation. The Zimmen Tigers have always made it one of the normal goals of the national team to develop and transport players. We also hope that by training in the league we will have more players to contribute to the national team. If supporting the national team brings temporary difficulties in the use of personnel for our team, the coaching staff and players will also digest and overcome them with a positive attitude."
Before the national team left Haikou for Guangzhou, Yu Genwei also made a point of encouraging Barton, saying that everyone in the Tsimshatsui Tigers was waiting for him to represent the national soccer team, and told Barton to take care of his health during the long trip to New Zealand.
