With the 2021 Chinese Super League (CSL) and Chinese Super League (CSL A) seasons on the horizon, news announcements from various teams have been pouring in, and on April 1, a piece of news from Germany's transfer mall set the soccer world ablaze: former international soccer player Fan Xiaodong has finally joined CSL A's Suzhou Dongwu team. The former international, who has been out of the game for two years due to injuries, has become a hot topic of discussion among fans as to whether he is returning to his old age, or whether he is expected to make a comeback.
Fan Xiaodong, 34, has a versatile position on the pitch, able to play both as a left back and a left forward, and has moved around Shenzhen, Zhejiang, Changchun Yatai and many other clubs in his career, as well as representing the national team for 8 games, contributing 1 goal. Although he has not been able to play in the last two years due to injuries, and some fans even speculate that he has retired, Fan Xiaodong himself has been working hard to return to the field.
At the end of last year, Fan Xiaodong became a free agent after his contract with Changchun Yatai expired, and has now signed with Suzhou Dongwu until 2022. Despite his long absence from the field of play, he still leaves a deep impression in the hearts of fans: "played international football, looks like Xu Yunlong", "the national team is full of vigor, can not be broken", "peak Fan Xiaodong, in the national team's rotational indispensable in the national team's rotation". Many fans believe that his return has been recognized, and the process of joining the new team, the performance in tryouts and training, proves it.
However, whether Fan Xiaodong will be able to return to a state where he can play in the Central League remains in doubt. It is understood that he suffered a ligament injury, which may have a more serious impact on him. Looking back, some players have been able to recover from serious injuries, but others are still not as good as before even when they recover.
