On the evening of June 28th, the wind and clouds changed, the official announcement of Shanghai Shenhua Football Club was like a heavy bomb, announcing the transfer of Dai Weijun, the core of the Shenzhen team's midfield. The midfielder, who has not touched the ball in half a year, finally ushered in a new starting point, and his career will be refreshed by this transfer. Dai Weijun's joining is not only related to the Chinese men's national team's preparation for the World Cup qualifiers and the Asian Cup, but will also affect the performance of the Asian Games men's soccer team in Hangzhou.
Dai Weijun, 23, rose to prominence at Reading's youth academy in England, making his League One debut in a win over rivals at Bury FC in 2017, and then attracting attention on his debut with a golden goal on August 5 of the same year.During the 2017-2018 season, Dai Weijun appeared in 11 matches for Bury, contributing one goal and one assist each.During the 2018-2019 season, he played for Oxford United and Netherlands Utrecht, and in July 2019, Premier League Wolves became his new home. This season, he scored one goal in seven games with Wolves.
In July 2020, Dai Weijun moved to Shenzhen Football Club, where he made 60 appearances for the team, scoring 6 goals and assisting 13 times.He made his national team debut on January 27, 2022 in the Asian Qualifying Round 12 match between China and Japan, and has made 7 appearances for the national team so far.
As a technical midfielder, Dai Weijun's ability to make breakthroughs, set-pieces and forward passes is impressive, and his on-field creativity brings infinite variety to the attacking end. He is regarded as a future star in the midfield of the Chinese Men's National Team.
After two arbitrations with Shenzhen Football Club over his salary and free agency agreement, Dai Weijun finally gained his free agency and joined Shanghai Shenhua as he wished, where he will wear the No. 9 jersey for the Chinese Super League.
Shanghai Shenhua coach Wu Jingui has welcomed Dai Weijun to the team, believing that he will enrich the team's offense and promote rejuvenation. Before Shanghai Shenhua's home match against Nantong Zhiyun on Wednesday night, Dai Weijun interacted with the fans in Shanghainese, showing his expectations for the team and the match. He has been waiting to return to the field since October 29, 2022, and now that he has joined Shenhua, he will face stiff competition and Dai Weijun will have to give his best in order to win a starting spot at his new home.
