There are high hopes that a 21-year-old Chinese soccer star will soon dominate the sport worldwide.
Shanghai East Asia number seven Wu Lei, described as a “baby-face striker” by Fifa.com, is already making a serious impact in the Chinese Super League.
The attacking midfielder broke on to the scene in the 2004 AFC U-14 Boys’ Festival, scoring six times as China defeated South Korea and Japan on their way to the title.
Two years on, Wu made history as the youngest ever player to feature in a professional match in China, coming on as a substitute for Shanghai in second-division game aged just 14 years and 287 days.
In August 2008 he became the second youngest goal-scorer in Chinese soccer in a league game against Qingdao Hailifeng, and went on to score nine goals for the U-20 national side, securing China’s place at the 2010 AFC U-19 Championship finals.
Meanwhile, Wu remains prominent at club level, especially last season in which he “smashed home” 17 times to help earn his side’s promotion to the Chinese Super League.
“I think I am a player who uses [his] head,” said Wu in conservation with Fifa.com. “I not only have hunger but also a good nose for goal so I can usually find chances to score. I like looking for opportunities in front of the goal and beating the defenders with agility and pace to score.”
Despite his club losing 4-1 to Beijing Guoan at the start of the current season last month, Wu was hailed for his goal kicked from an acute angle after wriggling through the strong defence.
Since then he has recorded a three-goal tally in four games and is now ranked third overall in the league’s scoring-chart – a rare occurrence, says Fifa.com, for “a home-grown marksman in a competition largely dominated by imported stars”.
Wu said of his intentions for the year: “After our promotion I set a goal of scoring at least 10 goals in my first Super League season.
“The top-flight competition is fierce, with more high-quality players, but equipped with past experiences from both club and country, I will try to maintain my performance level.”
Club owner and former China national coach Xu Genbao has praised Wu, who he signed eight years ago, as “China’s Maradona” – and his performances are starting to attract interest abroad, notably from former Manchester United star Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who described him as “a good striker” during January’s Sun Cup Trophy tournament in Spain.
