Soccer Rising Star Yan Dinghao: From National Olympic Captain to National Team Rising Star
Soccer reporter Liu Xiangyu reports: the new national team list was announced, Guangzhou team nine people were selected, Yan Dinghao is listed. He has been selected for the national team at all levels and has served as the captain of the National Olympic Team, but this is the first time he has been selected for the national team.
Yan Dinghao performed well in the Chinese Super League this season. After the first phase of the league, he had already completed 6 assists, becoming the local player assist king of this season's Chinese Super League, with a high calling, but unfortunately, the national team at that time did not give the 23-year-old young midfielder a chance.
Yan Dinghao has made 20 appearances this season, including 19 starts, averaging 79 minutes. Guangzhou team has gone through a huge change, Paulinho, Talisca and other naturalized players have returned to the team, Yan Dinghao, Yang Liyu, Wei Shihao and other mid-generation players stood out, and Yan Dinghao gradually became the midfield commander of Guangzhou team, playing a more mature style, and showed enough talent in the attacking end.
After the season, the reporter had an interview with Yan Dinghao. He believes that despite the twists and turns, it is considered a rewarding season. Being selected to the national team roster is another milestone in his career. Next, he has to play with his own characteristics and strive to be able to stay in the national team and go to the next level.
FOOTBALL: If you had to rate the 2021 season that just ended, what would you give yourself out of 100?
Yan Dinghao: I think this season can give myself a high score, 75, 80 points or so. 2021 season, the team can be said to have a lot of ups and downs, the beginning of the season the center of the return of the team, Paulinho, Talisker left, the tactical system gradually adjusted, to we gradually play the tacit understanding, and then to the second place in the league, finished the first stage, the back of the group to produce some changes, some naturalized players also returned to the team, and then again experienced a A long time of preparation is not system, Zhi brother (Zheng Zhi) to take us to play the last stage, but we also finished very well. Personally, I'm used to all kinds of situations this season, and I've kept myself in a very good condition, so I think I deserve this score.
FOOTBALL: You finished the season with six assists, third on the assist list, with Oscar and Quintero in front of you, making you the local assist leader. Did you ever think you would have such a statistic in assists before?
I'm a player who prefers to pass the ball, and I've been in the back position a lot of times this year. In fact, assisting is something I'm good at, but unfortunately, I haven't been able to grasp a lot of scoring opportunities this year because the team was short of players on the front line during the championship group stage, and Zhi organized me into a more forward position, which created some scoring opportunities as well.
FOOTBALL: What was the most impressive game of the season?
It was the first game with Shandong, when both sides were biting each other very hard in that game, and towards the end of the first half, my assist helped Yang Liyu to score a goal, and it was again a game in Tianhe.
FOOTBALL: What about the more regrettable games?
It is relatively regrettable that we played the harbor in the last game. Because we took the initiative and had more chances to score than the other team, but because our front line players are young and lack experience and ability, we failed to grasp the chances, in fact, we had the chance to score until the last minute, but in the end, we still lost, and perhaps this is soccer, after this game, we fell from the second place to the third place.
FOOTBALL: I thought your most impressive game would be the one against Henan, where you finished with two great assists.
Yes, despite the two assists, but according to the intensity of the game, including the importance of the game, it must be the game with Shandong will be more valuable.
FOOTBALL: Your six assists were essentially done in the first phase, what were the main reasons for not going any further statistically in the second phase of the Championship bracket?
We can see in the championship group we do the best is the defense, of course, we also create a lot of time on offense, but the front line players are very young, especially to the late, only Tan Kaiyuan, Ling Jie two young, many times they grasp the timing of the ability to be better, such as we passed to the, but the ball can not be scored, the assists naturally did not have, this is also very normal, the young players need to grow! This is normal, young players need to grow a process. To the final stage, our mentality must be to the team first as a condition, we do not think to brush what data or other, fans can see that we play very selfless, everyone is dedicating their own all to run, in order to let the team can win down, can pass the ball will not be their own to single work.
FOOTBALL: Was it one of the most difficult phases for Canton that you experienced before the start of the Contender's Division race?
It must have been, with an empty base, sometimes just a few people practicing, especially at the beginning, and no coach to lead us, it's still quite difficult to keep it completely on your own initiative. But the fact that we can be in such a situation in the later stages also shows that we are all very demanding and professional players.
FOOTBALL: Do you feel tired from playing this year?
The intensive journey can cope with, in fact, every team is the same, so there is nothing to say. My own physical recovery is relatively fast, I also count the fate is relatively good, there is no injury, if there is an injury, the journey is so intensive, you have to rest at least two games, it will be very sorry, because every game is the accumulation of experience. The interval is too long, often need to adjust the state from scratch, this will be more difficult compared to the intensive journey.
FOOTBALL: In the new season, it won't be U23, ready for such a change?
Yan Dinghao: In fact, I have never seen myself as a U23 player, I played abroad for so many years, foreign players seventeen or eighteen years old can be in the first team to play on the main team, so I have never seen myself as a U23 player, this policy is a kind of protection for us, but I think it is not to let us stop a reason, I have always been a higher standard to ask for themselves.
Football：Zhang Yuning has also been a U23 player in the 2021 season, he has performed very well, you have grown up together and have a good personal relationship, has his performance touched you in any way?
We were both at Greentown before and he (Zhang Yuning) must be a player I respect in my heart and I am very comfortable playing with him as a striker and I look forward to having a teammate like that. In the league, I saw some of his highlights and I applauded him in my heart. Whenever we meet, both of us go to each other to inspire each other and expect the other to be better. This time again in the national team reunion, is still quite looking forward to, expect and he has some communication, including some on the ball and some life communication.
FOOTBALL: You've stayed abroad before, how do you feel about the topic of staying abroad now?
I've seen the world outside, and I know what level it is. Five big leagues, including some European sub-leagues, are the stage of our desire, but must be you have the ability to consider the conditions, rather than relying on some other methods, that the same can not get progress, because we all know, you just go to practice or just the end of the bench players, it is difficult to have some big progress, and we are the most need to compete in the age of the year.
In my opinion, the first thing I have to at least in China to become one of the most outstanding players, and then I go to consider staying in the ocean, because I am now at this age has not reached the age of not go out will be late, or that must go out to break into the age, I think you can be through the two or three years of precipitation, so that their own ability to become more comprehensive time to think about it, I think it's not too late. You see like Zhi, when he stayed in the ocean is also 25 years old before going out, is one of his most perfect, the strongest talent, go out to have the competitiveness.
Soccer: When you first joined the Guangzhou team, the rising momentum is particularly fierce, there is a very beautiful goal, simply out of nowhere, until the match with Guoan that game injury. That injury is not quite a big impact on you?
Yan Dinghao: I think it was a small turning point in my career. In fact, for me, that injury I have been very light, because I have looked back at the competition and now the competition, I think now I play more sophisticated and stable, at that time our team has Paulinho, can lead us to play, just started I play the position of the position is more forward, the degree of freedom is also relatively high, but really to my own best pass, control the ball to organize the ability to look at it, in fact, now I play more sophisticated and stable, fewer mistakes, passing is also more accurate, more successful. I'm now playing more sophisticated and steady, less mistakes, more accurate passes, and a higher success rate.
It is true that there were certain data, is because at that time we played very well, and incidentally I also played very well, so it seems to be striking, but in fact, really according to each minute to analyze the competition, I thought that now I will be more excellent. In addition, despite the experience of injury, but I recovered very well, using this time, I will be other aspects of the body are adjusted to a better condition, so I do not see the injury as a setback or what, I think that I was that period of time is to precipitate a bit, after that period of time, the requirements for their own will be a bit higher.
Soccer: You are a player who is particularly good at thinking and summarizing, and you can calmly analyze some of your problems every time.
Now that it (the injury) has occurred, I have to think about whether I can minimize the impact and give me some improvement in other areas.
Football：Guangzhou team before there are many big-name foreign aid, including like Talisca, Paulinho, playing beside Paulinho, are you also able to learn a lot of better ways to handle the ball?
Right. Paulinho has played for too many big teams, including my favorite Barcelona, I often go to talk to him, I ask him how he plays in Barcelona? Those teammates around him like Iniesta, Xavi, including Busquets how they handle the ball, we will often comment on these things. He appreciates me and trusts me a lot, he will give me the ball if I want it, we get along with each other in a very good way, on the pitch, he will make me more determined, he will encourage me all the time, and let me go to show my own things.
FOOTBALL: Did you feel your role and identity changed a little bit when these big-name foreigners from Guangzhou, including naturalized players, returned to the team?
I think we've all changed in these guys, we're already considered mid-generation players in the Guangzhou team, and we all need to take more responsibility on our shoulders, it's just that everyone's position is different, and they need to take on different responsibilities.
Soccer: Cannavaro said in a previous interview, has always treated you as Zheng Zhi's successor in training, and now Zheng Zhi is leading the team, how is the exchange between you and Zheng Zhi, what kind of requirements he has for you?
First of all, I won't think of myself as Zhi's successor, but Zhi must be a benchmark in our minds, and we will learn from and imitate what he did, and he is a very good model. In the competition of the championship group, from the first day of Zhi's team to the last day of the competition, I was one of the earliest players, and I have been practicing with Zhi all the time. In fact, we didn't communicate much, almost all of us were in the professional field, all of them were in the aspect related to the ball. In the final stage, we were very tight and he needed to do the tactical organization of each game with the available personnel and equipment, so you can see that we actually played five different formations in eight games, and I played in four or five different positions, which I think was a new requirement for me, and at the same time, it was a trust for me.
FOOTBALL: With Zheng Zhi in the team, will there be a backbone and we are more confident?
Must be, you can feel that whether we play to win or not, our fighting strength must be there, including the hard work and running statistics of each game, we will not lose to the opponent, no matter who the opponent is.
FOOTBALL: Cannavaro is your mentor, right?
YAN DINGHAO: Yes, it must be.
FOOTBALL: You even posted a farewell on your own social media when he left, can you talk about the impact Cannavaro had on you?
He is the one who brought me to the Guangzhou team and I am very grateful to him. Because he had known me at a very young age, discovered me and then loved me as a type of player. After I came to Evergrande, he gave me a lot of determination, including giving me a certain amount of time to get used to the team, to get used to the rhythm of the Chinese Super League and the AFC Champions League competition, did not say that once I came up to use, or maybe once I came up to not use at all, gave me a certain amount of time, and slowly let me adjust the situation to the best, and gradually get used to it.
I went through a very serious injury at the back, and he gave me a lot of time to find my determination and rhythm again, he has always been very protective of me, many times he may also want me to play, but he was afraid that I would have a recurrence of the injury, so he made the most reasonable choice, I understand his idea, he wants me to be able to have a better performance in this season. I think my performance today is worthy of his trust in me.
FOOTBALL: Which of Cannavaro's exchanges with you stood out to you the most? What were some of the things he told you?
In fact, very often he does not have to say too much to me and I can understand his purpose and meaning. This season, we have a game with Guangzhou City, finally played 3-3, the other side has a goal, the process is we want to play counterattack, I will pass the ball back to the keeper, some pass big, the keeper broke out, just let the opponent form a counterattack and scored, they equalized the score by virtue of that goal. After the game, Cannavaro asked me to have a separate conversation, he told me, we were ahead, with your ability, you should have better choices and handling, should not give the opponent another time to play counterattack.
In fact, I also watched a lot of replay at that time, I did not think that my choice has a problem at first, but later he said some words, he said that such a competition, to you and around the teammates of the talent, you are in this position, you should be "with a cigarette" can be completed such a competition. On the one hand, it shows that he recognizes me and expects us to have more and better choices, and he expects me to do my best, and he also wants me to be more confident.
FOOTBALL: What is the biggest change that Cannavaro has made to you on the pitch?
He told me to keep some of my original features and advantages, including my forward passes and threatening passes, there are bound to be mistakes, but he was encouraging, and his idea was that as long as your awareness and ideas are right, don't be afraid to make mistakes. But if you take some risks or make some mistakes in the midfield, then he might criticize you very harshly because you will give the opponent a lot of opportunities.
FOOTBALL: Did you go back to speak with Caravallo after he left?
We often communicated, I would be concerned about his future and he would give me some advice. We communicate in English.
