In the late afternoon of August 11, when Shanghai Harbour Football Club announced the return of Wu Lei to the team, it not only marked a new chapter in the history of Chinese soccer, but also witnessed the zeroing of the number of Chinese players in the top five leagues after 1,282 days of waiting.
At this moment, the Chinese Super League ushered in a local star, although he may not have the world-class level, but in our players, he is undoubtedly the "chaser of the light" to light the way forward.
Wu Lei's three-and-a-half-year stay in China has left countless unforgettable moments for Chinese fans. His La Liga debut, his first La Liga goal, and his breakthrough of Barcelona's goal have all become valuable chapters in the history of the national soccer team.
However, those glorious days are in the past. Wu Lei chose to accept the Chinese Super League salary restriction policy and return to his hometown, a dusty legend will also usher in a new sequel.
Shanghai seaport for the return of Wu Lei made the theme of "welcome home" poster, as well as the welcome video, the slogan "such as the return of 7, welcome home", all highlights the special status of Wu Lei in the hearts of Shanghai seaport fans.
At the age of 17, Wu Lei became Shanghai Dongya's top scorer; at the age of 20, he scored 17 goals in the Central League, helping Shanghai Dongya's success in the Super League, which all became the starting point of his career.
Wu Lei has many "firsts" in the team, completing his first career hat-trick at the age of 21, and becoming the first person in the history of China's top-flight league with three caps in a season in 2013.
The teenager who brought his father to the Genbao soccer base on Shanghai's Chongming Island grew up step by step with an aura of heroism, scoring the 100th goal of his career in 2016.
In the first half of his career, Wu Lei had a smooth ride. However, in the face of one of the world's most demanding fan bases, simply brushing up on his stats in the league wasn't enough to meet their expectations.
As the "king of the ball" in the Chinese Super League, Wu Lei was expected in the 2018 World Qualifying Round 12, but his mistake in the battle with Syria made him become a target for a while.
Although Wu Lei is just a scapegoat for the national football team's failure to reach the World Cup, the fans' emotions need an outlet, and as the top local player, he can only be a target.
Despite the infinite magnification of missed chances in key matches, Wu Lei's scoring record in the Chinese Super League is still impressive: 15 goals in the 2013 season, 12 goals in the 2014 season, 14 goals in the 2015 season, 14 goals in the 2016 season, and 20 goals in the 2017 season, making him the top local scorer for the fifth consecutive season.
However, to get rid of the word "soil" to become a real top scorer, Wu Lei still lacks a Super League scorer king's name, just as the initial Hong Kong, to get rid of the "new noble" name, you must get a Super League title.
In 2018, Wu Lei and Shanghai Hong Kong both fulfill their dreams. At the beginning of the season, he showed the maturity of a man by scoring a hat trick in the first round of the league and completing a big four in the 3rd round.
Throughout the season, Wu Lei faced Guangzhou R&F's top scorer Zahavi, constantly surpassed, and finally with a scorecard of 27 goals, crowned the Chinese Super League Golden Boot, breaking the monopoly of foreign aid on the Chinese Super League Golden Boot for up to ten years, and creating a record of single-season goals scored by a domestic player in the history of the professional league.
The moment he held the Chinese Super League trophy, Wu Lei was less flamboyant and more introverted, transforming from a boy into a man.
This sense of responsibility and broad-mindedness also appeared in the 2019 Asian Cup and three and a half years of staying in the world. During his years in Spain, Wu Lei experienced the infection and coldness of the new crown, but remained open.
Now, this from Chongming Island out of the teenager has reached the age, the see have seen, the experience also experienced, it is time to go home.
Shanghai seaport in the official announcement of the return of Wu Lei microblogging wrote: "We have always remembered, those years, Wu Lei with the club and the fans to grow, struggle years; we have always remembered, Wu Lei on behalf of the club to play in the Chinese Super League 172 matches, creating a team history of 102 goals scoring record."
Three years away, return is still a teenager. Returning home, can Wu Lei get back the initial feeling?
