In an interview with Sports Weekly on March 15, Wu Lei not only reviewed the changes in the Chinese Super League, but also candidly dissected the evolution of his role over the years.
When talking about the current level of competition in the Chinese Super League, Wu Lei was blunt: compared to the grandeur of 2017, today's league has regressed in terms of technology, tactics and spectatorship. 2018, the two years, the game is full of passion, the strong addition of foreign aid makes the training and the rhythm of the game is very different. Now, the overall strength of foreign aid has declined, and the environment for young players to grow up is not as good as it should be.
How has such a decline in the overall standard of the league affected domestic players? And how has your role changed?
Wu Lei revealed that his role has been evolving. Since he first stepped into the Chinese Super League in 2013, he has witnessed the team's transformation from no foreign aid to one. At first, the team was sparse on foreigners, and he worked with his teammates to shoulder the burden. With the arrival of Konka, Hulk and Oscar, his role in front of goal has been adjusted and his main task is to escort them. With his training in Europe and his return from Hong Kong, his role has changed once again, not only to take responsibility in the game, but also to help his younger teammates grow. As he grows older, he has taken the initiative to seek change, constantly experimenting with new roles and positions. Nowadays, there are many new faces emerging from the Hong Kong team, and he is on a mission to help them and guide them.
Talking about the national team, Wu Lei recalled a crucial equalizer away in Thailand in last year's world qualifiers. The image of him darting in to scoop up the ball and hit the goalpost was impressive.
"This is the most basic duty of a striker!" Wu Lei said firmly, "The ball is there, if you have a chance, you should go all out (to shoot it in). At that time, I thought the ball had the chance to roll into the goal by itself, and there was no other possibility in my mind ...... This is the instinct of a striker and what I have to give for the team."
