Recently, Chinese football ushered in the news of the retirement of an old international player - Yu Hai, known as the "Chinese Robben", officially announced his farewell to the green field. The player, born in 1987, has had an impressive career. Yu Hai made a total of 314 appearances in the Chinese Super League, scoring 23 goals and providing 25 assists. In his early Eredivisie career, Yu Hai also had 10 outstanding performances, when he played for Vitesse. His retirement is not only an important moment in his career, but also represents the end of a period of Chinese football history.
Yu Hai's football career has been full of ups and downs. At the age of 31, he was again selected for the national team coached by Lippi as a left wing-back. In an interview with Shanghai media, he recalled his career in foreign countries when he was young and shared an embarrassing detail. According to Yu Hai, he was seriously injured in the Eredivisie, torn the medial collateral ligament in his knee, and the operation was unsuccessful, not only missing the Olympics, but also losing the perfect opportunity to join the Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen. At that time, Leverkusen had already sent people to visit him several times, and the two sides almost reached an agreement. However, due to the injury blow, the Chinese player failed to achieve his dream of competing in Europe's top five leagues.
Yu Hai's experience is undoubtedly an important case in Chinese football. His talent and potential were recognized by international clubs, not only for his personal ability, but also for the possibility of Chinese players gaining a foothold in the European arena at that time. More importantly, Yu Hai's experience highlights the fact that Chinese players at the time were able to find opportunities in Europe by relying on real strength and technology, rather than commercial or market factors. In the eyes of today's Chinese football circles, this is still of great significance that is difficult to surpass.
However, injuries ruthlessly cut off Yu Hai's stay in the ocean, and also made his career a turning point. Despite this, Yu Hai did not give up. At the age of 31, he was transformed into one of the country's top left wing-backs, showcasing his technical and attacking prowess. But for Yu Hai personally, the failure to sign with Bayer Leverkusen has always been an indelible regret. This is not only a regret of his personal dream, but also a regret that Chinese football has not been able to show more possibilities on the international stage.
To sum up, Yu Hai's retirement is not only a review of the career of an outstanding player, but also a reflection on the history of Chinese football. Yu Hai's experience reminds us that for talented Chinese players, staying away from injuries is the key to achieving more. At the same time, it is also a warning to China's football training system, which needs to pay more attention to the health and career planning of players. We look forward to having more powerful players like Yu Hai in the future to show the style of Chinese football in international football. (Lao Qiu Super League Ball Review)