In a rare interview on September 3, Gao Tianyi, a rising star in the Chinese soccer world, revealed his deep feelings for Beijing Guoan, a team for which he aspires to play 100 matches. Meanwhile, Guoan's midfield competition is fierce but harmonious, which is undoubtedly positive news for the team.
Gao Tianyi, the player seen as Zhang Xizhe's successor, joined Beijing Guoan as a free agent after Jiangsu Suning was disbanded. He won the trust of then-head coach Bilic and quickly became the centerpiece of the team when Li Ke was frequently injured. That season, Gao Tianyi appeared in 21 games for Guoan, contributing four assists; in the 2022 season, he made 26 appearances, scoring three goals and assisting five times. This season, he has been equally impressive and has become an integral part of Guoan's midfield.
Talking about his feelings about joining Guoan, Gao Tianyi confessed, "Since joining Guoan, I have been a good midfielder, which is good news for the team. I am somewhat similar to Zhang Xizhe in offense, but I need to strengthen in defense." He also said that he hopes to play over 100 games at Guoan and help the team win more honors.
Gao Tianyi's comments reflect the heated atmosphere of competition within the Guoan team. He is eager to play at Guoan for a long time. Although he did not reveal more details, the news is happy news for Guoan, Zhang Xunzhe, Park Cheng, Ji Zhongguo and other players, and fans have been praising it.
A fan said, "It would be wonderful if Gao Tianyi could play alongside Augusto, Bieira, Kanoute and Zhang Xizhe in his prime. This season, he has worked with many foreigners and feels a bit rusty. I wonder if Tao Wei can help him!" Another fan thought, "Gao Tianyi is more suitable for the No. 8 position. Compared with Zhang Xizhe and Park Cheng, he is a little bit inferior in terms of technique, but his physical quality is better and he is expected to surpass Zhang Xizhe in the future!"
However, there are also fans with different opinions: "Guoan has enough midfielders, why don't we cultivate noble will and bring in Zhang Yuan? We should strengthen our center backs. Instead of letting Zhang Chengdong, Yu Dabao and Bo Yang make cameo appearances, we should bring in genuine center backs ......"
In short, fans are generally optimistic about Gao Tianyi becoming the centerpiece of the future national soccer midfield.
