Liu Shibo returned to Evergrande in the 2018 season, but still couldn't get a foothold in the team. It wasn't until last season, when Guangzhou's No. 1 goalkeeper Liu Dianzuo moved to Wuhan Sanzhen, that Liu Shibo became Guangzhou's starting goalkeeper.
Last season, Liu Shibo played 21 matches for Guangzhou in the Chinese Super League, including 5 matches without an opponent. Liu Shibo's performance in Guangzhou last season could only be considered quite satisfactory, without many highlights.
However, Liu Shibo has quite the resume. Back in 2016, he was selected for the Chinese national youth team. He was also called up to the Chinese national team this year by then national soccer coach Gao Hongbo due to his excellent fitness.
In addition, Liu Shibo has also been named to the training roster of the U23 national team and the Olympic team several times. Perhaps these past national team experiences have been a stepping stone for Liu Shibo to join the Taishan team.
Liu Shibo's joining also implies that Wang Dalei, Taishan's starting goalkeeper last season, will transfer out of the team. Recently, it was reported that Wang Dalei will return to Shanghai Shenhua.
If Wang Dalei leaves the team next season, Han Rongze will be the No.1 goalkeeper of Taishan. Considering Li Guanxi's lack of game temperament, it's hard to become the team's No.2 goalkeeper. Therefore, after Liu Shibo joins the team, he is very hopeful to compete with Li Guanxi and become Han Rongze's replacement.
In the 2023 season, Taishan will play three lines of matches in the Chinese Super League, FA Cup and AFC Champions League, and more first-team players will have the chance to take the field. If Liu Shibo can show his strength in the team's training, he may soon represent Taishan in the AFC Champions League.
