Since officially joining the Celtic women's football team on July 21, 2021, Shen Mengyu's journey to stay in the ocean has gone through 300 days.
Shen Mengyu said that he was not a static person. So at the age of 19, when the opportunity came, she plucked up enough courage to turn the idea of staying in the ocean in her mind into reality.
This is just like she played football with a group of boys since she was a child, and finally insisted on chasing her dream and chose the path of professional football.
In the 300 days outside, Shen Mengyu has had the loneliness and confusion of first arriving abroad, and has also had self-doubt under the "tip of the bull's horn".
Of course, there is also the joy of winning the League Cup with the team, the joy of punching the park ball game, and the growth of "light loading".
lonely
Zhongxin Sports: I remember when you were celebrating the victory before, you wrote: "Thank you for the 132 days of hard work you have left home.". Is there a lot of bitterness behind it?
Shen Mengyu: When a person is abroad, he sometimes feels very homesick and has a strong sense of loneliness. Usually because of the time difference, I can only pinch the time to video with my family and friends, and for a while I felt very sad.
Before, when you were in China, everyone would think that you were a little sister and sometimes take care of some. But after arriving abroad, many things are not clear, and I have left the comfort zone and arrived in an unfamiliar environment, which needs to be re-adapted, and it will be really confused. There are no family and friends around you who can help you, and you need to carry everything yourself.
After coming here, I had a problem with my mentality, which led to a bad state. I'm more harsh on myself, and sometimes I like to drill the tip of the bull's horn.
For example, I want to do a good job, but after losing the ball on the field and making a mistake, I feel very frustrated. Now that I think about it, I still thought about it a little too much, always too much pursuit of perfection, in fact, this will make me play very badly, and later I think it is better to go light.
My teammates were encouraging me during that time, and I talked to the manager. Everyone presented to me: "Actually, you are very good, really don't doubt yourself." Then I gradually came out, which is also a kind of growth.
Shen Mengyu (second from left) celebrates the League Cup with his teammates. Image source: Shen Mengyu's personal social media
Into
Zhongxin Sports: Now that I have been staying in The Ocean for 10 months, have I fully adapted to the life of staying in the West? Compared with the beginning of staying in the ocean, what aspects have changed a lot?
Shen Mengyu: Relatively speaking, I will adapt to some. When I first arrived, I didn't even know how to sit on the small train and bus, and where to buy vegetables. Now that I'm a little more familiar, I have no problem with basic communication with my teammates, and I am more integrated into the life here.
I also have a better relationship with my teammates. Because I am not a very "social cow" person, when it comes to the new environment, I will still be a little overwhelmed. However, it's time to play with everyone now.
I think it was a blessing to be here in my first year. I got a lot of help and my teammates were friendly.
For example, if there are any new tactical arrangements and training programs, they will look at me and ask me if I can understand. If they don't understand, they'll ask the manager to say it again, or they'll do it first and explain it to me to make sure I know.
Shen Mengyu (first from right) celebrates with his teammates. Image source: Shen Mengyu's personal social media
My teammates would supervise me to learn English and ask me every day, "What did you learn today?" "Sometimes they also teach me words and expressions.
And before the Lunar New Year, I invited my teammates to my home and made them a table of Chinese food, including braised pork, shrimp, tiger skin eggs, etc., and there were quite a few types.
Thanks to the food bloggers on the major platforms, many dishes are learned and busy for more than two hours.
I also received gifts from my teammates, little tigers with pictures, happy new year with Chinese written on it, etc., and spent a very different Spring Festival abroad.
Shen Mengyu celebrated with his teammates. Image source: Shen Mengyu's personal social media
inspirit
Zhongxin Sports: What other experiences have impressed you along the way?
Shen Mengyu: We had a game played at the Park Stadium, the home of the Celtic men's football team, and I was very impressed and very excited at the time. I remember a month before the game, everyone started all kinds of countdowns.
We've played any other game before and haven't played at Park Court. Before I heard that I could play on this ball, everyone's first reaction was: "Really? Then it's like asking, "Who are you playing with?" "It seems to have been said before that there is only one game played in this stadium this year, so everyone cherishes and looks forward to it.
The stadium is big enough to accommodate a lot of fans. We had about four or five thousand spectators that day, which was a lot more than usual. It feels very different when you kick the ball. There are gongs and drums, and the whole game does not stop, and for us, this is a completely different treatment from usual (laughs).
Shen Mengyu and the Chinese fans on the spot. Image source: Shen Mengyu's personal social media
Zhongxin Sports: What was it like to win the League Cup with the Celtic women's football team before? What does this mean for you?
Shen Mengyu: Because I played in the final, I definitely went to the championship, but when I really won the championship, I still thought it was quite incredible, and I was thinking, I really did it.
There was a lot of spectators in that final, and we interacted with the fans after the game and danced the iconic dance, which was a great feeling.
At that time, I had not been in Yangyang for a few months, and I thought it was a very good start. This championship is also an incentive to want to win all the competitions after that.
Sino-Singapore Sports: Are there often Chinese fans abroad who cheer you on the spot?
Shen Mengyu: Indeed, there are often, I remember there was a Chinese fan who was very cute and came every game before. Later, when she was going to return to China, she prepared a small book for me, which contained photos of me at various time periods, which was very attentive.
My teammates were all envious when they saw it, and they joked with each other: "Look at the fans." There are also many Chinese fans here who have told me that whenever they are free, they will definitely come to the scene to support me. I find it particularly heartwarming.
A letter from fans to Shen Mengyu. Image source: Shen Mengyu's personal social media
brave
Zhongxin Sports: Some wonder, how did you get involved in football when you were a child and embark on the road of professional football? Do you have a favorite player?
Shen Mengyu: It happens that the primary school near my home is a school with football characteristics, the football atmosphere is very strong, and there are often many star players who come to the school to communicate with us. I used to play soccer with a group of boys.
I really like the feeling of playing football, it's a good feeling to be in a team where everyone is working towards a goal and celebrating when they win.
Later, when I discussed the career path with my parents, my father was more rational, and after analyzing some aspects for me, I was allowed to make my own decisions.
I especially liked Modric, and when I was a kid I loved watching Wu Lei play football, when he was still in Shanghai during his time in East Asia. At that time, I felt that Wu Lei was so good, he scored a lot of goals, and I felt that he was shining on the field, and there was him everywhere on the field, which was a model worth learning. I also admire his decision to stay in the Ocean, which requires courage.
Image source: Shen Mengyu's personal social media
Zhongxin Sports: Under what kind of opportunity did you choose to stay in the Ocean? Brave enough to take this step?
Shen Mengyu: The idea of staying in Yang has long appeared in my mind, I am not the kind of person who is unchanged, just the Celtics gave me this opportunity, I think I can try it.
Before staying in Yang, I discussed the difference between staying in Yang and playing football in China with my sisters in the Shanghai team, and carefully analyzed the pros and cons. At that time, the sisters also said that there is nothing that young people dare not try, and young people must dare to do it.
However, I still want to say that staying in the ocean is not suitable for everyone, and you must think about what you want before taking this step before making a decision. For me, physical confrontation is one of my lacking aspects, and the league confrontation here is very intense, so I want to try it and make up for my shortcomings.
Sino-Singapore Sports: What are your expectations and plans for the future?
Shen Mengyu: There is no one who does not want to wear "Chinese red" and hopes that they can wear the jersey of the women's national football team to play on the field.
However, there is still a certain gap between himself and his sisters, and the premise of wanting to realize this wish is to further improve himself and continue to work hard! (Author Bian Liqun)
Source: China-Singapore Sports WeChat public account