Time has shaped the way we are now, and on a face that has been through the vicissitudes, there are tear marks, there are crow's feet...
On March 1, Ji Xiang celebrated his 32nd birthday, which now has more special meanings for him, which has passed the age of establishment. Last year, on the day before his birthday, the Jiangsu team he had struggled for 20 years announced that it would stop operating, and under hesitation and hesitation, retirement even became one of the options for the future. Fortunately, Ji Xiang chose to continue to persevere above the greenery, and after joining the Taishan team, his career ushered in a new beginning. As the only player in the Taishan team to win the Chinese Super League championship for a row and experience the demise of the parent team, in the second half of his career, Ji Xiang's experience was destined to be colorful.
Old dreams are hard to find
On March 1, 1990, Ji Xiang was born in Baoying County, Yangzhou City, which is the famous "hometown of lotus roots" and also an important football town in Jiangsu, under the years of cultivation of Zhang Qiqi, the head of the meritorious coach, Pan Qiang, Liu Fei and other players have embarked on the professional field.
When he was a child, Ji Xiang's physical fitness was not outstanding, his uncle was his "guide" to the road to football, and when he was young, he chased and forced after the tall figure, and his body gradually became stronger and he liked the sport of football. "According to my hometown dialect, my uncle 'plated' me every day." Ji Xiang recalls.
The uncle led the door and practiced in the individual. At that time, Ji Xiang showed the characteristics of diligence, and every day after school, he would practice alone in front of the courthouse next to the school. Thanks to the previous "special training" and hard work, Ji Xiang's football level exceeded most of his peers, and he became a football star in Baoying County during his primary school years, and he had been running on the playgrounds of Taoyuan Primary School and Experimental Primary School.
The days passed quickly, and at the age of 10, Ji Xiang took the ticket of fate and came from Yangzhou to Nanjing.
Zhai Weizhong is Ji Xiang's enlightenment coach in Shuntian Youth Training, and the 53-year-old is a witness to the first year of Jia A, who once represented Jiangsu Mai. In 2000, Zhai Weizhong retired, and a year later, as the youth coach of Jiangsu Sainty Football Club, he began to form a 1989 age group echelon, and Ji Xiang, Sun Ke, Zhou Yun and other players embarked on the road of professional football at that time.
"Ji Xiang has been flat foot since he was a child, and generally speaking, flat foot is not suitable for playing football, but Ji Xiang is now playing very well, and he has also achieved very high results, winning the championship for two consecutive years, really happy for him, and he is very comprehensive, all of which he has worked hard to train." Today, the once young disciple has become the mainstay of Chinese football, and in Zhai Weizhong's view, it is the efforts of the day after tomorrow that helped Ji Xiang change his life.
In 2008, Ji Xiang made his professional debut, and in the away game against Nanchang, the 18-year-old tried multiple positions such as full-back, back and front waist. It was the time when the "youth storm" of the Jiangsu team was blowing, thanks to the rapid growth of the young members and the stable play of the team, they got the ticket to the Chinese Super League at the end of the season.
The wind direction of growth has never been unpredictable, with the aura of "professional players", Ji Xiang failed to become the "savior" of Jiangsu team at the 2009 National Games.
At the age of 20, he became the team's second top scorer; at the age of 22, he scored the Evergrande goal in the opening 7 seconds and became famous since then; at the age of 23, he won the Super Cup with Jiangsu; at the age of 30, he finally tasted the championship in the first chinese super league. However, just as happened in the summer of 19 years old, even if it has become a green idol that has become a fan of Jiangsu fans, when the team faces the inflection point of fate, Ji Xiang and his former teammates can only wait helplessly.
"I'm not going to forget why I set out because of how far I went. Because I, like you, am an eternal fan of Jiangsu team. Because like you, here is the shadow of my youth, the days of my youth. People who have accompanied you through half your life may not be able to accompany you through life. Here, please allow me to say goodbye to you one by one. On the evening of March 22, 2021, Ji Xiang wrote his last period in a long farewell text. Since then, the blue jersey has added a touch of melancholy, and in the turbulent spring wind, the old dream has become a faint memory.
A new dream is in full swing
On April 9, 2021, Ji Xiang climbed Mount Taishan with the team, which is a traditional ceremony for the Taishan team before the start of the season. After training with the team for a long time, Ji Xiang finally appeared in the eyes of the fans. In order to welcome the new member, the fans also specially presented oranges as gifts. Since then, the second half of JiXiang's career has ushered in a warm hue.
Since joining Taishan, Ji Xiang has quickly integrated into the team. Under Hao Wei's meticulous craftsmanship, the lineup of the Taishan team has undergone a qualitative change, among which the role played by Ji Xiang as an all-rounder is inseparable.
In the 2021 season, Ji Xiang played 20 games for Taishan in the league and FA Cup, contributing 4 assists, and his accurate long pass on the right side continuously delivered cannonballs for Taishan's high-flying tactics.
Thanks to the excellent performance of the league, Ji Xiang also knocked on the door of the national team. Since the completion of the national football debut in 2014, compared with players of the same age, Ji Xiang's national football road is not smooth, but as long as the team needs it, he will always dutifully complete his work.
Today' Jixiang is still a link between fans in Shandong and Jiangsu, and in the 2021 season, Taishan team played against Guangzhou team at Huadu Stadium, and fans from Lusu and Su held up two sets of red and blue banners. "Ji Xiang, Jiangsu Hanzi loves the land of Qilu." Taishan, Shandong hero swept the Chinese Super League. "Because of him, the affection of the fans in both places is even deeper.
On January 4, the Taishan team waited for the "late" championship trophy, and at the award ceremony, Ji Xiang took out the blue and white striped scarf of the Jiangsu team. "Thank you to all the fans and friends, I am in Qilu, looking at Jiangdong, thank you for your companionship and encouragement along the way to make me firm and brave to move forward." Thank you for the kindness in this orange ocean, which has given me a new meaning, when I walked here, your sincere shouts and cheers are the motivation for me to persevere. This night, Ji Xiang wrote.
And the year of establishment has passed, happiness and sadness are no longer simple, just like the moment Ji Xiang holds the cup, there must be yesterday's reluctance and regret in his mind. But it is precisely because of the hardships that the smile becomes more meaningful. Wildfires burn endlessly, spring winds blow again, and in the Taishan team, Ji Xiang's unfinished dreams above the greenery will eventually usher in a happy ending.