China's soccer community is accelerating the pace of youth training with a multi-dimensional strategy that covers sending young talent overseas for further study, optimizing the domestic system of Chinese youth tournaments, as well as an international training program for branded echelons led by the Football Association (F.A.A.). This diversified training path has undoubtedly energized the growth of Chinese soccer. As the 21st century progresses, the potential of Chinese soccer has become clear, with a number of outstanding overseas players and home-grown talents on the rise.
Born in 2004, He Xiaoke was a shining star for Red Star Belgrade and Savadel U19A, and now he has started his overseas journey with remarkable strength. Not only did he participate in the 2001 Olympic training camp, but he is also set to make a name for himself with the national team. And attacker Efirdin, who went to play for Swedish club Mjallby after the U20 Asian Cup, is now a starter for Guangzhou.
He Xiaoke and Efirdin's teammates Liu Shao Ziyang, Li Hao, Li Xiancheng and Wang Bowen are also playing for European clubs and showing outstanding strength. Li Changyi joined Huesca Club in the Liga B. All of them will help the Olympic team led by Cheng Yaodong to make a difference in the preliminaries.
Among the overseas players who emerged in the 21st century, Dubrava, the head coach of the Croatian Dubrava team, as well as Jaboyan, have been recognized for their outstanding performances. Meanwhile, locally trained young talents such as Tao Qianglong and Abraham have also shown great strength.
Central midfielder Abraham Khaliq has played well for Shanghai Port FC and has become the centerpiece of the U24 national team. Similarly, Tao Qianglong, who scored three goals and had one assist in the Chinese Super League, helped turn the tide for China in the Asian Games against South Korea. Chinese Super League teams such as Guangzhou are also increasingly using young players, and tournaments such as the China Youth League have led to strong growth in Chinese soccer.
In the First Division League, teams such as the Guangzhou team are almost composed of post-00 players, and young players are given ample opportunities for training. The consecutive organization of the CYL has made the connection between the youth league and the professional league closer, depicting a bright prospect for the future of Chinese soccer.
