At the end of 2016, Gao Yuyang, a teenage talent, resolutely gave up his Chinese passport behind him and set foot on Japanese soil, becoming the first ever Chinese soccer international to choose to settle in Japan after retiring from the game.
At the age of 18, Zhang Aolin officially joined Gamba Osaka in October, signaling that he will be a first-team player next season. In Gamba Osaka's official program, the Chinese-born goalkeeper publicly announced that he had acquired Japanese citizenship, and made no secret of his desire to "play for Japan on the world stage". The news created a furor on Weibo. Despite all the conflicting opinions, the prevailing view is that Zhang Orin's choice of Japan is a reasonable one, and that he is eager to prove himself in Japan as a way of shedding light on the problems with the youth training system of China's national soccer team.
This month, Gamba Osaka officially announced that they have signed a contract with 18-year-old young goalkeeper Zhang Aolin, who will be officially promoted to the first team for the new season. On the official YouTube channel, Zhang Aolin made an appearance and showed off his living environment, while revealing that he has renounced his Chinese citizenship.
The 194-centimeter tall Zhang Orin, born and raised in Osaka, has a clear plan for his goals: "I aspire to represent Japan in the World Cup," and vows to challenge his predecessor's status for the starting goalkeeper position.
Domestic media reported Zhang Aolin's transfer under the title of "abandoning the national soccer team for Japan", which triggered a heated discussion among netizens on Weibo. Some netizens have reservations about this: "If they can't play in two years, I'm afraid they'll regret returning to China." The Chinese nationality is not a child's play, we have a lot of talent, and it is not surprising that others join other nationalities." "We don't lack goalkeepers, it doesn't matter if he comes or not."
At the end of the day, Zhang Aolin is still a young player, and may seem a bit "unknown" to fans. Most fans are neutral about his naturalization and consider it a personal choice: "Born in Japan and living here for a long time, it's only natural to choose Japanese nationality. Whether it's for career development or life choices, it's a decision that can't be faulted."
Chinese fans are more excited about Zhang Orin's success in Japan as a way of revealing the shortcomings of the Chinese national soccer team's youth training system. "If he can stand out, then we can prove 100% that there are problems in our youth training system. Even though this is well known."
