CNS Sports: Has the journey of adapting to a foreign country allowed Shen Mengyu to fully integrate into the life of staying in the ocean? What are the notable changes compared to when you first arrived?
Shen Mengyu:
In contrast, I have gradually adapted. At first, even taking public transportation and shopping for ingredients was confusing. Nowadays, communication with teammates is unhindered and there is a greater sense of integration into life.
Our relationship grew stronger. I'm not a social person and was inevitably a bit overwhelmed when I first arrived. However, now everyone is playing with fire.
I feel lucky to have arrived here in the first year of my stay. I've had a lot of help and my teammates are very friendly.
Whenever a new tactic or training program came up, they would pay attention to how well I understood it. If I didn't understand, they would ask the coach to explain it again or demonstrate it themselves to make sure I understood it completely.
My teammates were also responsible for supervising my English study, asking every day, "What did you learn today?" Even teaching me some words and expressions.
During the Lunar New Year, I invited my teammates to my home for dinner and prepared rich dishes such as braised pork, shrimp, and tiger eggs. Many of the dishes were learned on the spot and were busy for more than two hours.
I also received gifts from my teammates, including a painting of a tiger cub and a card with "Happy New Year" written in Chinese, making it a unique New Year abroad.
CNS Sports: What are some memorable experiences that have stuck with you during your journey to stay in the United States?
Shen Mengyu:
The tournament, which was held at the Park, home of the Celtic men's soccer team, made a lasting impression on me. A month before the match, everyone started counting down the days.
We had played on other courses before and had never played competitively on a park course. When we heard we could play here, everyone's first reaction was, "Really?" Then inquired, "Who is the opponent?" Since there was only one game played here that year, everyone cherished and looked forward to it.
This stadium is spacious and can accommodate a large number of fans. There were about 4,000 to 5,000 spectators at the game that day, much more than usual. The feeling of playing soccer was especially different. The sound of drums and gongs went on and on for the whole match, which was an unprecedented treatment for us (laughs).
CENSUS SPORT: What was it like to win the League Cup with Celtic Women's Football? What does it mean to you?
Shen Mengyu:
In the final, we were aiming to win, but it was still incredible to actually hold the trophy. It was like, I've really done it.
The final drew a huge crowd, and it was great to interact and celebrate with our fans after the game with our signature dance.
It was only a few months ago and I think it was a good start. This championship is also a motivation that makes me even more eager to win every game after that.
CNS Sports: Do you often get live cheering from Chinese fans abroad?
Shen Mengyu:
Indeed. I remember a lovely Chinese fan who was at every game. Then she was going back to her country and gave me a little book with a very thoughtful collection of photos of me from various periods.
My teammates were envious when they saw it and joked with each other, "Look at the other fans". Many Chinese fans over here also told me that whenever they were free, they would definitely come to the game to support me. I felt very warm.
CNS Sports: How did you get involved with soccer as a child and go on to play professionally? Do you have a favorite player?
Shen Mengyu:
Coincidentally, the elementary school near my home was a special school for soccer, with a strong soccer atmosphere and frequent exchanges of star players to the school. I used to play soccer with a group of boys at that time.
I do love the feeling of playing soccer and it's a wonderful feeling to be in a team, working together and celebrating when you win.
Later, after discussing with my parents about taking a career path, my father was more sensible and after analyzing some aspects, he let me make my own decision.
I especially like Modric, and I also enjoyed watching Wu Lei play when I was a kid, when he was still at Shanghai Dongya. I just thought that Wu Lei was really great, scoring tons of goals, and he was everywhere on the field, a role model to learn from. I also admire his brave decision to stay in the ocean, it takes a lot of courage.
CNS Sports: What was the opportunity for you to choose to stay abroad and take this brave step?
Shen Mengyu:
The idea of staying abroad had been in the back of my mind for a long time, and I'm not the type of person to stick to the rules. It just so happened that Celtic gave me this opportunity and I thought I'd give it a try.
Before I stayed in the ocean, I discussed with my sisters in the Shanghai team the difference between staying in the ocean and playing at home, and carefully analyzed the pros and cons. At that time, the sisters also said that there is nothing young people dare not try, young people should dare to do.
However, I still want to say that staying abroad doesn't apply to everyone, and you must think clearly about what you want before taking this step and then make a decision. For me, physical confrontation is an area where I am lacking, and the league here is very intense, so I want to come and try to make up for my shortcomings.
CNS Sports: what are your hopes and plans for the future?
Shen Mengyu:
No one wants to wear "China Red" and hope that they can put on the uniform of the women's national soccer team and fight on the field.
However, there is still a gap between me and my sisters, and I still need to improve myself and keep working hard if I want to realize this wish!
