Back to the hot summer of 1986, 23-year-old Wang Baoshan stood at an important fork in the road of life: whether to continue to devote themselves to soccer, or choose to step into the sea of books.
At that time, he was already well-known in the Shaanxi team, however, the star in his heart that aspired to compete for his country seemed to be forever out of reach. Every morning, when the morning sun first appeared, he was already in the stadium sweat, and in the evening, even if the hunger is hard to endure, but also never easily give up any training opportunities.
In the face of the coach's repeated persuasion, Wang Baoshan internal struggle, until the "Bao Cheng Cup" on the field, he won the national team coach's favor by virtue of outstanding performance. At that moment, the gears of fate began to turn.
However, becoming an international footballer is no easy task. Wang Baoshan's predecessor, Xia Yongwei, also had his share of glory but failed to stay famous due to injuries. The two men's destinies intertwined and together they wrote the legend of Shaanxi soccer.
Xia Yongwei, born in Tianjin, came to Shaanxi with his parents to support the third-line construction, and shared a similar fate with Wang Baoshan. Wang Baoshan found the joy of soccer on the turf field of the "38 Factory", and his teacher was the same female physical education teacher.
Faced with his first choice in life, Wang Baoshan firmly chose soccer, even though it meant more hardships and challenges.
From Baoji Gymnasium to the national team, Wang Baoshan's soccer road is full of ups and downs. In the national team, he gradually emerged, but suffered setbacks at critical moments, pain and loss are intertwined.
Going abroad to stay in the ocean has become a new starting point in Wang Baoshan's life. In Japan, he not only learned persistence and self-discipline, but also realized the true meaning of soccer.
In 1993, the call of the National Games brought Wang Baoshan back to his hometown. In the Foshan team, he found a sense of home and realized his dream.
From player to coach, Wang Baoshan has interpreted what is the true spirit of soccer with his actions. Although Shaanxi soccer has never been able to become his home, he has always been grateful and contributed to the rise of Shaanxi soccer.
In 2022, Wang Baoshan once again stood on the throne of Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic, can he lead the team to fulfill the dream of the Chinese Super League? This is not only a challenge, but also his persistent pursuit of the soccer career.
