Reporter Chen Yong reported 10 goals and 2 assists, the Chinese Super League local top scorers tied for the top of the list, Beijing Guoan team top scorers list, more than the team's second and third scorers combined goals; average 1.4 key passes per game, this data is second only to Zhang Xizhe; average 1.4 breakthroughs per game, second only to Wang Gang and Silva.
This is the season answer sheet handed over by Zhang Yuning. At the same time, because of the continuous scoring of goals in the context of Beijing Guoan's single foreign aid in the second stage of the league, Zhang Yuning is also known as a representative player of the "Guoan spirit".
In fact, in the previous national team, Zhang Yuning's performance was also very good, he gradually sat in the main position in the round of 12, and his comprehensive ability was generally recognized.
At the end of the Chinese Super League, this newspaper interviewed the main player of the national football team and the scorer of the Chinese Super League.
◆ "Football": 10 goals and 2 assists, this is your report card in the 2021 season of the Chinese Super League, and many fans say that you have become a new tactical pillar of Guoan. What do you think of your performance?
Zhang Yuning: It is an honor to be recognized by the fans. For me, it is actually to try to play my own characteristics on the pitch, to integrate with the overall style of play of the team to the greatest extent, so that I can better help the team, to do this, goals or assists are a matter of course. On the other hand, I also try to play the role of an old player, and together with the big brothers in the team, I drive the growth of young players.
◆ In fact, not only goals, on the spiritual level, especially in the second stage of consecutive goals, you are also known as the representative of the "national security spirit", how to view this honor?
In fact, as a person, it's more about cultivating and maintaining a good, mature playing habit and going all out no matter what the situation, because every minute of the game opportunity is hard-won. I am very happy and cherish the opportunity to play for the National Security team and the national team, and in my past experience, I also cherished the opportunity to train and play when I played for each team.
◆ How do you understand the "national security spirit" that fans refer to?
In my opinion, the "national security spirit" is the spirit of not giving up until the last minute, not abandoning, as a player of the national security team, I must strive to practice the spiritual core of this team.
◆ Not only the league, in the national team game, you gradually become the main center of the national team, and the performance has been generally recognized, how to review your performance in the national team?
I never take myself for granted as the main center, the main player of any team, all I can do is try to seize the opportunity of every game, and strive to be able to show my best side on the field, which is the most important thing, so I will definitely try to show my competitive side.
◆ Returning to the Chinese Super League for three seasons, your performance is steadily improving, more typical is the average number of goals per game is steadily improving, how do you think about the three years in the Chinese Super League?
Being able to make progress in these three Years of Super League competitions and being able to improve yourself step by step is indeed gratifying and gratifying, which is also a reward for your own efforts. Of course, these improvements are only a small achievement, I know that I still have a lot to improve, and I also hope that I have more progress, more improvements.
◆ "Football": Not long ago, Li Lei bid farewell to Guoan and went to Europe to stay in the West, on the occasion of parting, did you communicate with Li Lei, after all, you have a wealth of experience in staying in The West?
Zhang Yuning: Yes, for me, it is admirable that Lei Ge can choose to play abroad at this age, he is already a very successful player in the Chinese Super League, but he still dares to accept the challenge and dare to face the unknown life, which is not what ordinary people dare to face. Regardless of the outcome, he is currently the best left-back in China in my mind, and he can jump out of his comfort zone and choose to stay abroad, which is even more respectable. I hope he will be able to go well, adapt to life and the way he plays in his new environment as soon as possible in Europe, and wish him all the best in his new life outside, all the best.
◆ From the round of 40 to the round of 12, Wu Lei, who played in Espanyol, performed very well, and his adaptability to the rhythm and intensity of the game was also better, how do you think of your forward partner and big brother?
Yes, we can see Wu Leige's performance in the round of 40 and the top 12. The high-intensity training and fast-paced competition of European football have brought great changes to the players. I also feel very comfortable to be able to cooperate with him in the game, and many balls can be said to be able to complete the final pass with one eye, because his consciousness has always been very good, the impact is also very strong, and he can tear the opponent's defense. I hope that in the future, more young players can go out to stay in the ocean like him, improve themselves, so that they can help the national team to a greater extent, which is actually our original intention to stay in the ocean.
◆ In the future 2023 Asian Cup and 2026 World Cup qualifiers, you will be the core player of the national football front, will you stay in the Ocean again, improve yourself again, in order to give more help to the national team?
If the time is ripe and I feel that I can go out to play football again, this will definitely be an option, I hope that one day, I can also have a team that suits me, give me a better chance to show myself, through European competitions and experience, I can show a better side for the national team in the future continental competitions.
◆ "Football": in 2015 into the Greentown team and in 2015 to stay in the Ocean, in 2016 was selected into the national football team and debuted, from this experience, although you are only a player who just turned 25 years old, but in the professional league has been 7 years, in the national team has been 6 years, you just mentioned with the big brothers to help young players grow, so from a mental point of view, do you no longer regard yourself as a young player, but assume the leading role that the old players should assume?
Zhang Yuning: Speaking from the heart, in different situations, I will have different requirements for myself.
For example, when playing on the field, I always think of myself as a young player, I must fight for every goal, I must actively run, and I must cherish every minute of opportunity. This desire for the game is because I often remind myself that I must always remember the days when I struggled and fought for the 10-minute qualification abroad, so I will cherish every game very much. When I have a good performance, I also use this way to warn and urge myself that I can do better and must do better.
Of course, in another case, I no longer treat myself as a young player, for example, there are a lot of young players on the team now, maybe about eighteen or nineteen years old, I have played professional leagues for many years, the national team has played many times, these young players will also look at me, see how I do, this time I have to play a leading role, especially after wearing the captain's armband, I feel that I have a heavier responsibility, I must try to do better.
So, no matter at what level, whether it is to be as committed and eager as a young person on the field, or to give them a demonstration through practical actions when getting along with young players, all this is to hope that they can become a better and more mature player.
◆ Compared with the past, you are now more comprehensive in your ability, including retracement to take the ball, breakthrough and other aspects of great progress, how do you think this progress is achieved?
In fact, in the past two years, affected by the epidemic, the time spent on training and preparation in the club is not very much, and more time has been spent in the national team, and the club is still mainly based on competitions.
In these days of national team training, I feel that all aspects are improving, because the training intensity of the national team is also very large, and the leaders, coaches, and teammates have always been very good to me and have helped me a lot. In many technical details, I have worked hard to improve and patiently polished, such as shooting, grabbing points, carrying the ball on my back, etc., and I have put a lot of effort into it. I think I made some progress in the training stage of the national team, and later in the national team and the club team, through high-intensity confrontation, I practiced it, and the things in the training were well expressed through the game.
◆ 2022 is coming, can you tell us about your wishes for the new year?
2022 has arrived, what I hope first is that whether in the national team or in the Guoan team, there will be a good performance, followed by the hope that I can maintain a good competitive state, play a good game in the new season, return to the national team, return to the club, return to the fans, and then, especially hope to be able to return to Beijing to play the home game, and enjoy the joy of the game with the fans, which is my biggest wish this year.