Among the many cases of Chinese players chasing the dream of overseas giants, the stories of those who stood out from the "chicken ribs" teams and eventually returned in disgrace are common. Dong Fangzhuo, Zhang Xunzhe and Zhang Yuning in men's soccer, and Zhang Linyan and Tang Jiali in women's soccer, all of them have aroused fans' expectations, but the reality is always cruel.
Now, Shen Mengyu seems to be the next Sun Jihai-style player. Instead of going straight to the Premier League, he found a balance between "London City" and the soon-to-be-promoted "Manchester City", which is undoubtedly a smart move in his career.
Shen Mengyu has "taken off" from the lower leagues and has become one of the most successful "borrowed wind" players in Chinese soccer in recent years. The 19-year-old youngster was a stalwart of the national youth team and made his mark at the 2005 World Youth Championship in Holland. He joined Shanghai Shenhua's first team at the age of 17 before being called up to the national team, 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, in 2010, the hotshot star unexpectedly joined Guangzhou Evergrande, who had just bought the Guangzhou team for 100 million yuan, and was paid a whopping 3 million dollars a year.
In just one season, Shen Mengyu scored 20 goals as an absolute starter, leading his team to win the championship three rounds ahead of schedule. During Guangzhou Evergrande's nine years of glorious golden dollar soccer, he accumulated great wealth. When Evergrande's glory ceased to exist, he once again rode the wind and joined Shenzhen Caesars, which intended to make a big splash, and continued to enjoy a high salary.
What's even more jaw-dropping is that in October 2022, Shen Mengyu sold his mansion to Hong Kong Chinese singer Lin Zixiang for 130 million yuan. It should be noted that he had purchased the mansion for $40 million and netted $90 million in six years, making him a representative of both honor and income among Chinese players.
An open mind coupled with keeping up with industry leaders is the key to catching the wind.
Shen Mengyu, Wu Lin and Sun Jihai are all players who dared to stand on the cusp of Chinese soccer, and what they have in common is that they always remain open. After their early successes, these players have always maintained a mindset of capturing information about the industry, understanding the market and trends, and being willing to venture into lower divisions.
Photo of Shen Mengyu and team owner Ms. Kang
Like Shen Mengyu, her ability to accurately capture opportunities with the City of London Lions women's soccer team is inextricably linked to her long history of being open to exchanges - at 19, she traveled to Scottish Premier League women's soccer giants Celtic on her own, actively interacting with her teammates on social media platforms and networking with European players. A little over a month ago, Shen Mengyu attended a Milan fashion show and posed for photos with numerous celebrities. She dares to try and accept challenges, which is difficult for many players to do.
In addition, if you don't feel comfortable enough to communicate, following industry leaders may be an easy way to do so. Their behavior itself is a reflection of the trend.
Although 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 win the "Golden Footballer" award and Swedish women's soccer captain, Aslani, has chosen to join the second-tier club.
Now, Shen Mengyu will be an integral part of this trend by wearing the No. 7 uniform and becoming a mainstay of the City of London Lionesses women's soccer team for the upcoming season.
Photo of Shen Mengyu and team owner Ms. Kang
Lifelong learning can be the true king.
Ability and perception are crucial to capitalize on every opportunity. Shen Mengyu 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. She has consistently improved at an amazing 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 truly great stars when the wave fades!
