Naturalized players have become a common phenomenon in the world of soccer, especially in Europe, South America and North America, where the strategy of naturalizing players to represent the national team of their new nationality plays a key role in improving the overall strength of the team. They are affectionately referred to by fans as "naturalized players".
However, in Asian soccer, especially in East Asia, the situation is different. Both Japan and South Korea excel in soccer, but the Korean men's soccer team has been resistant to bringing in overseas players, and it's not hard to understand why - after all, there are strong feelings of nationalism in South Korea.
Japan, on the other hand, has invested a lot of resources in local youth training, nevertheless, it is open to bringing in overseas players until the harvest of talent comes. Former Japanese internationals such as Ramos, Lupisu, Lord Santo and King Tanaka Togusa are the best proof of this.
At the same time, the Chinese men's soccer team is going through a period of youth shortage. In order to cope with the pressure of performance, in recent years, the national soccer team has continued to bring in overseas players as supplements, from blood-related Chinese to unrelated pure foreigners, and now a number of players who grew up overseas or were originally foreigners have joined the national soccer team's family.
However, due to various reasons, including substandard strength, change of mindset, etc., most of the naturalized players of the national football team did not achieve the expected results after naturalization, and even some of them have faded out of the fans' view. In this article, we will take stock of five gradually forgotten national football naturalized players for your reference.
V. Hou Yongyong
Hou Yongyong, 23 years old, formerly known as Ion Hou Sait, is of Norwegian and Henanese descent. In Norway, Rosenborg youth training camp, he was once known as one of the Norwegian three. However, after naturalization to join the Beijing Guoan Hou Yongyong did not show a level comparable to the Norwegian trio, the growth rate is not as expected, and therefore failed to get the national football team called up.
IV. Delgado
In 2018, Shandong Luneng brought in 21-year-old Portuguese midfielder Delgado, who was seen as an important addition to the national football team's midfield after his naturalization. However, as Delgado had represented Portugal in the U-20 World Cup, he was unable to represent the national soccer team under FIFA rules, which made his situation quite awkward.
III. Xiao Tao Tao
Formerly known as Robert Xiao, 24-year-old Tao Tao Xiao plays as a striker and winger for Kunshan FC in the Central League A. With Guangdong Zhongshan roots, he excelled in the Peruvian Primera Division, but his strengths have not been fully demonstrated after becoming a naturalized member of the national football team, and is now playing in the Central League A. He has been a member of the Peruvian National Football Team for over a decade, and is now playing in the Central League.
II. Gallagher
In 2015, Guangzhou Evergrande brought in Brazilian shot-stopper Golat for 15 million euros, becoming the first Chinese Super League player with a transfer fee of more than 100 million yuan. In the years of joining the Chinese Super League, Golat showed great strength and became a target for the national soccer team to bring in. However, due to the new FIFA rules, Golat was temporarily unable to represent the national soccer team, and his performance declined after joining Evergrande.
I. Lok Kok Fu
Formerly known as Aloysius, Luo Guofu plays as a striker, and was once nicknamed the "Bison" in the Barclays Premier League's Sao Paulo, where he excelled. After joining the Chinese Super League (CSL), he played well for Luneng and Huaxia Happiness, but his form gradually declined as he grew older. After becoming a member of the national soccer team, Luo Guofu didn't get too many chances to play, which made people question the decision of the national soccer team to bring him in.
