In this new environment, everything needs to be taken care of personally.
Thanks to the dedicated assistance of a team of brokers.
Tottenham Hotspur (city in Morocco)
The club not only provided Tang Jiali with an English online teacher, but also rented her a residence and arranged for a vehicle to get to and from the training ground. Nonetheless, she admits, "It's still very hard, especially when you're new to the country and you don't know anything about everything. There was a lot of work, from food, clothing, housing and transportation to various needs. As I was unfamiliar with local affairs, I also enlisted the help of a friend to deal with documents and other matters."
"At home, you might have someone like a tour leader to help you share the load and not have to pay much yourself. But here, even if you are told what you need to do, you still end up needing to do it yourself, and I've had to seek help from friends."
Goal: To be the centerpiece of the team
When she went abroad, the hot pot base and snail powder that Tang Jiali brought with her came in handy - because the team provided breakfast and lunch, but she had to take care of dinner herself. She believes that her cooking skills have also improved through the experience of staying abroad. However, what she expects more than anything else is that through this experience, she will be able to take her soccer skills to the next level, while carrying the expectations of many Chinese fans.
Tang Jiali's outstanding performance in many games won the fans' favor, and some fans asked her for autographs after the game. After accomplishing the "small goal" of scoring her first goal, Tang Jiali is full of motivation for the challenges ahead. "I am eager to go farther and become better, but I need to take one step at a time. First of all, to win the trust of the coach and teammates, and then gradually become the main force, and eventually become the core of the team."
Firm hope to return to Chinese women's soccer
At this year's Tokyo Olympics, Tang Jiali failed to make China's women's soccer roster despite her outstanding performance in the Olympic preliminaries, which was confusing for many Chinese fans and a huge regret for Tang Jiali.
Now that she is in the English game, she still carries the dream of wearing the national team's uniform and competing for her country in her heart.
"Of course I would like to go back, but I'm also not a coach and ultimately it's up to the coaches to choose and schedule." She said.
Regarding the conflict between a long training period and staying in the ocean to play soccer, Tang Jiali is not worried.
"Now that I've come out to stay in the country and there are international days, the opportunity to return home is still there. If there is a long training session at home, we will talk about it."
Now, Tang Jiali's path to stay in England is well underway - and a dynamic Tang Jiali will be a formidable weapon for the Chinese women's soccer team. After missing the Tokyo Olympics, she still has more chances to shine on a bigger stage.
