As the world qualifiers draw near, Ivankovic officially unveiled the 31-member national soccer team's preparatory squad, with the name of one right back, Deng Hanwen, from the three towns of Wuhan, sparking quite a ripple.
Going back to the 2017 China Cup, Deng Hanwen first caught the attention of fans. At only 22 years old, he stepped into the door of the national team under the special appreciation of coach Lippi. In a match with Croatia, he delivered a precise assist to help China lock the key goal, and has since become famous. However, former teammate Wang Jingbin has gradually faded out of the fans' field of vision, Deng Hanwen in the Chinese Super League continued to shine, but has never been able to get the national team's favor.
Although Deng Hanwen burst onto the scene at the 2017 China Cup and was touted as a future star of the national team, his career has not been a smooth ride. Guangzhou Evergrande and Wuhan Three Town, where he played, both experienced a change from glory to doldrums, and Deng Hanwen's personal fortunes rose and fell with them.
Deng Hanwen has been an outstanding performer in the Chinese Super League, especially in recent seasons, and his mature performances for Wuhan Sanzhen have been particularly eye-catching. His flexible movement on the right and forward support has become the key to the team's offense. In the past two seasons, he has contributed four goals and seven assists for Wuhan Sanzhen. But even so, his performance in the national team has never been recognized. Li Tie has not taken him under his wing, while Jankovic has seen him as a dispensable player.
This time, Ivankovic's selection decision seems extraordinarily surprising. However, some people believe that after the withdrawal of Stanley Wong from the national team, Ivankovic's choice of Deng Hanwen this time is undoubtedly a wise move and a treasure of talent. At right back, the national team is really short of manpower, except for Wang Zhenao, almost no one is available. The 29-year-old Deng Hanwen is obviously better than the young player Wang Zhenao in terms of personal ability and game experience.
Data show that Deng Hanwen is not only stable and reliable in the defensive end, speed and explosiveness are also its distinctive features, offensive creativity is not to be underestimated. Ivankovic recruited him this time, undoubtedly in order to strengthen the right side of the national team's defense. This is exactly why Ivankovic called up Deng Hanwen at the beginning of his tenure. We expect Deng Hanwen to live up to the expectations and contribute to the national team's victory in the World Qualifiers.
