Compared to those successful cases, it is not uncommon for Chinese players to become the so-called "phoenix tails" of the giants, but eventually choose to return. From the men's soccer team Dong Fangzhuo's joining, Zhang Xunzhe's Bremen trip, Zhang Yuning's West Bromwich Albion trip, to the women's soccer team Zhang Linyan's Tottenham Hotspur joining, Tang Jiali's Madrid trip, the expectations of the Chinese fans time and time again come to naught.
And now, Shen Mengyu deserves to be the next Sun Jihai. Although she had the opportunity to land directly in the Premier League, she chose a different path. It seems to be giving up the direct opportunity, but in fact, it is in line with the current situation, made the most sensible decision!
She has also "taken off" from the stage of Chinese soccer's Central League. Perhaps it is she who has become one of the most successful "catching the wind" players in Chinese soccer in recent years. At the age of 19, this rising star was a stalwart of the national youth team that participated in the 2005 World Youth Championships in the Netherlands. That year he was called up to the national team after breaking into the first team at Shanghai Shenhua, and at the age of 20 he scored in the Chinese Super League and the AFC Champions League to help China beat South Korea for the first time in 32 years. However, such a highly regarded star in Chinese soccer unexpectedly joined Guangzhou Evergrande in 2010, when it bought the team for 100 million yuan, with an annual salary of up to 3 million.
In just one season, he scored 20 goals as an absolute starter and led his team to win the championship three rounds ahead of schedule. In the Chinese Super League, he followed Guangzhou Evergrande through the golden period of nine years of gold-dollar soccer and amassed a huge fortune. When Guangzhou Evergrande started to go downhill, he caught a new wind and joined the ambitious Shenzhen Caesars, where he continues to enjoy a high salary package.
What's even more staggering is that in October 2022, he sold his mansion to Hong Kong, China singer Zixiang Lin for $130 million. Mind you, he originally spent $40 million to purchase the mansion, which netted him $90 million in six years. He thus became the highest honored and highest paid Chinese player in recent years, catching the limelight time and time again, surpassing other Chinese players of the same period!
Open mindedness plus following industry leaders = catching windfalls
Shen Mengyu, Wu Lin and Sun Jihai are all players who have dared to stand on the cusp of Chinese soccer, and the most notable thing they have in common is undoubtedly "staying open". Building on the modest achievements of their early years, these players have always remained informed and open-minded about the soccer industry, aware of the market and trends, and willing to take risks by entering lower leagues rather than sticking to their achievements.
Shen Mengyu and team owner Ms. Kang
Shen Mengyu, just as she was able to accurately capitalize on her opportunity with the City of London Lions women's soccer team, is clearly inextricably linked to her long history of keeping an open mind to communicating. at the age of 19, she traveled on her own to Scottish Premier League women's soccer giants Celtic, often posting interactive videos on social media platforms, actively engaging with her teammates, and going out to play and exchange ideas with European players such as Jiali Tang. A month ago, she attended a Milan fashion show and posed for photos with numerous celebrities. She dares to try and accept challenges, which is beyond the reach of many players.
Also, if you feel like you have poor judgment and don't like to communicate, it may be easiest to follow industry leaders whose actions are themselves symbolic of trends.
Despite the fact that the City of London Lions are a Championship club and are not part of any Premier League men's soccer team, there have been a number of leaders in the soccer industry. Former Paris Saint-Germain women's head coach Junior Jeslin is the new manager of the Lions, and the only active women's soccer player to have won the Golden Footballer Award and captain of the Swedish women's soccer team, Aslani, has opted to join the second-tier club.
Now, Shen Mengyu will be an integral part of the trend that is the City of London Lionesses women's soccer team by wearing the No. 7 uniform, symbolizing a starting position for the upcoming season!
Shen Mengyu and team owner Ms. Kang
Lifelong learning is the way to go
Your ability and perception is crucial if you want to capitalize on every opportunity. Shen Mengyu clearly could not have gotten this opportunity without her contribution of 11 assists in a single season with Celtic Women's Soccer, helping the team win 4 trophies in 3 years, and she has consistently improved at a phenomenal rate.
As Warren Buffett famously said, "It's only when the tide goes out that we can see who's swimming naked!" This great investor reads tons of books and newspapers every day, constantly learning about his knowledge and staying sharp to the market, allowing him to weather market crises time and time again with great success.
A player's ability to learn also determines the height of their future career. Only by remaining humble, lifelong learners, and turning learning into a habit, can we see more perspectives of the world, be prepared to wait for every window in the industry, and become true stars when the wave recedes!
