On June 12, the 9th round of the China First Division League was in full swing, with Guangxi Pingguo taking the lead with an impressive record of 7 wins and 2 draws. The team's young striker Liu Baiyang, who is only 20 years old, ranked second on the scorer's list with five goals after teammate An Yongjia. In an interview with Soccer News, Liu Baiyang admitted that he has benefited a lot from his predecessor Wu Lei.
Congratulations on being named the Midland League Player of the Month for April/May.
I am incredibly proud to receive this honor. My skills and style have been recognized and my years of hard work have finally paid off. I would like to thank all my coaches and teammates for their endless help. Also, I would like to thank Harbor and Harbin Club for giving me a stage to show myself.
Last year you had a stunning performance at the Harbor, beating Meizhou with two goals, what kind of impression did this Chinese Super League experience leave on you?
First of all, I would like to thank my coach for trusting me and giving me the opportunity to experience the fast-paced and competitive atmosphere of the Chinese Super League. Normally, the big brothers of the team would tell me, "Relax and enjoy the game." The Chinese Super League taught me to handle every ball at high speed and choose the best time and position.
In that game, you broke teammate Liu Zhurun's record as the youngest Chinese Super League goal scorer in Port's history at the age of 19 years and 201 days. What is the special significance of this for you?
Thanks to my hard training, the coach's trust in me allowed me to capitalize on my chances in the game. Being ahead of my opponents, I got these two goals, which is not only a reward for my coach's trust, but also a way to give back to my family who supports me.
Wu Lei returned to the harbor last year, how did training and playing with him and the foreigners help you? What did you learn from them?
This has helped me a lot. I learned a lot from Ray. His running, sense of space, shooting skills, and heading techniques are all worth learning from, especially his understanding of space - how to appear in the right place, how to time the shot, including the angle, etc. These are all valuable assets for me.
So, how did you get a lease on Harbin?
At that time, the first team told me that due to the U23 policy, if I couldn't get a foothold in the first team, the situation would be very tough and there wouldn't be many opportunities to play. But at this age, we want to grow, the most important thing is to play more matches and accumulate experience. Later, Sun Xiang, the vice president of the club, guided me and hoped that I would play more matches to gain experience and prepare for my return next year.
Is there a particular player you admire?
I prefer Benzema. His soccer intelligence is admirable. Despite being in the center forward position, he drops back frequently in the game. For every goal he scores, the timing and manner of his shots are impressive. On the pitch, he always brings more help to the team.
What are your soccer dreams and goals?
My dream is to be selected for the national team and play for my country; secondly, I hope to play abroad to experience the charm and atmosphere of foreign soccer. At present, my goal is to help Harbin team to score 10 goals in the Central League this year; in the future, I hope to stand firm and play for the Hong Kong team.
