New Zealand team Auckland City officially announced on March 1, Beijing time that 33-year-old Chinese player Zhou Tong will represent the team in the next game. Prior to this, Zhou Tong played for Chinese Super League side Tianjin Jinmen Tigers, but failed to secure a contract extension at the end of his contract, so at the age of 33 he went to play overseas.
Zhou Tong played for the Tianjin Jinmen Tigers in the 2022 season, but his contract expired at the end of the season, and unlike the rest of his teammates, Zhou Tong did not receive a contract extension from the club and became a free agent.
Zhou Tong, born in 1990, has played twice for Tianjin Jinmen Tigers, in addition to representing Wuhan Zall and Dalian Albin, with more than 200 appearances.
Auckland City is the absolute dominant team in the New Zealand league, winning the domestic league title five times, the Oceania Champions Cup six times, and the Club World Cup at the beginning of the year. In the official announcement, Auckland City said that Zhou Tong's wife traveled to the region to pursue a master's degree after Zhou Tong joined the team.
Unlike other Chinese players who study abroad, Zhou Tong chose to challenge himself abroad at the end of his career. For Zhou Tong, it is very unlikely that he will want to return to the national soccer team by studying abroad.
Zhou Tong recently joined Auckland City and in less than a month, the national soccer team will fly to New Zealand to play two warm-up matches against New Zealand at the end of March. This is a very pleasant surprise.
