Recently, Wu Lei, a leading soccer player in China and a soccer talent in the port area, as the captain of the national team, talked about his heartfelt journey to the team's championship this year on the Soccer Night program.
Talking about the road to the league title this season
I was determined to win the title at home, so the jubilation of the fans was intertwined with our joy at that moment. In Dalian, when I held the trophy in my hands and took a photo with my teammates, the joy seemed to be celebrated twice. Personally, I think I was happier and more excited to win the title this time than I was in 2018. Maybe as I get older, I become more emotional. This was also my first full season back home, and playing alongside the team, the staff, and this group of mates was incredibly rewarding.
Individual goals record
In the middle and late stages of the league, I never gave much thought to my personal goal scoring record because my goal was to win the championship. The team was in trouble during that period, results were down and the whole team was under great pressure. On a personal level, I didn't think much about it, and the last round was no exception. However, looking back, only one goal became the Golden Boot, which I slightly regret.
Fans picking up the plane late at night
I was deeply touched by the emotion. I came out of the airport late at night after 1:00 p.m. and found a large number of fans on the scene.When we came back from Guangzhou in 2018, we were greeted by a large number of fans. Even though we didn't win the championship in the past few years, the fans have always witnessed our growth and have endured a lot of pressure from the outside world, and this pick-up was a release for them.
Losses with Guoan
We all aspire to win the title and the fans expect the same. However, our performance was not as good as we had hoped, which made us feel doubly frustrated. Upon arrival in Shandong, everyone arrived with a positive mindset, not as much pressure as at Guodian, and everyone gave their all to the game. Over the years, perhaps never have I seen such a united Hong Kong team, everyone fighting for every goal.
Visiting Xu Genbao after winning the championship
The idea of visiting Xu Genbao was not a whim. We agreed on it a month or two in advance. Because at that time we thought the championship would come earlier, we wanted to visit him. Every year when we go home on New Year's Day, we care about his health and celebrate his birthday. This championship win is the best feedback for him, and we hope he will be happier.
Xu Genbao's strict guidance
Director Xu has always had strict requirements for us, ever since we were young. Every time we went to the base, he would give us new requirements. We have gotten used to this strictness and to his expectations.
League's all-time leading scorer
I think it's due to day-to-day efforts, putting my feet on the ground every day, fulfilling my duties, training hard and building up gradually. From my first appearance in the Super League in 2013 until now, I am happy that I have maintained good form, including the time in Spain in between. I have more goals waiting to be realized, not only here.
