In the course of many Chinese players' pursuit of the dream of luxury, very few have succeeded in staying in the ocean, while those who have flown high and far away, and ultimately came back to the examples abound. Dong Fangzhuo's journey to Europe in men's soccer, Zhang Xizhe's shattered dream of Bremen, Zhang Yuning's journey to West Bromwich Albion, Zhang Linyan's career at Tottenham Hotspur in women's soccer and Tang Jiali's journey to Madrid all reflect the expectations and losses of Chinese fans. However, Shen Mengyu appeared as if she was the next shining soccer star. Unlike those players who landed directly in the Premier League, Shen Mengyu chose a seemingly conservative path. Instead of rushing to get there in one step, she skillfully followed the trend and made the wisest choice. She has become one of the most successful "comeback" players in Chinese soccer in recent years, having made a name for herself in the Central League. The 19-year-old star of the national youth team represented China at the 2005 World Youth Championships in the Netherlands, before being called up to the national team and joining Shanghai Shenhua's first-team squad that same year, and at the age of 20 he put in a remarkable performance in the Chinese Super League and the AFC Champions League to help the Chinese team to their first ever win over South Korea. However, the rising star unexpectedly joined Guangzhou Evergrande in 2010, just when Evergrande bought the Guangzhou team for 100 million yuan, with an annual salary of up to 3 million.
During the golden period of Evergrande's nine years of golden dollar soccer, Shen Mengyu scored 20 goals as an absolute starter and led the team to win the championship three rounds ahead of schedule. When Evergrande's glory was gone, she caught the wind once again and joined Shenzhen Caesars, which was ready to make a big splash, to continue her highly paid career. Even more amazingly, in October 2022, Shen Mengyu sold her mansion to Hong Kong Chinese singer Lin Zixiang for 130 million yuan, which cost her only 40 million when she purchased it, netting her 90 million in six years. The player with both honor and income has stood on the cusp of Chinese soccer time and time again. Shen Mengyu, Wu Lin, Sun Jihai, these players dare to stand on the cusp of the wind and waves of their success can not be separated from the "keep open" mentality. Against the backdrop of their early success, these players have always maintained a mindset of capturing and opening up to information about the soccer industry, understanding the market and trends, and taking risks to enter lower leagues rather than resting on their laurels. Shen Mengyu's trip to the City of London Lions also benefited from her long history of open communication; at the age of 19, she traveled to Scottish Premier League women's soccer giants Celtic on her own, actively interacting with her teammates, networking with European players, and even attending a Milan fashion show a month earlier, where she was photographed with a host of celebrities. She dares to experiment and take on challenges that are beyond the reach of many players. Of course, if you feel your judgment is lacking and you don't like to communicate, following industry leaders is also a wise choice. Their behavior itself is a reflection of the trend. Despite the fact that London City Lions is a Championship club, leaders in the soccer industry have come and gone, such as former Paris Saint-Germain women's head coach Junior Jeslyn and Swedish women's captain Aslani, who have chosen to be an integral part of the second-tier team. Shen Mengyu, wearing the No. 7 jersey, has become the mainstay of the City of London Lions in the new season, which is the result of her unremitting efforts and courageous challenges. As Warren Buffett said, "Only when the tide goes out can we see who is swimming naked." Shen Mengyu has always been humble and enterprising in the wave of soccer, how will she write her own legend in the future? Let's wait and see.
