Zhang Xiaobin (footballer, born 1985)

Zhang Xiaobin (simplified Chinese: 张晓彬; traditional Chinese: 張曉彬; pinyin: Zhāng Xiǎobīn; born February 14, 1985, in Zhangjiakou, Hebei) is a Chinese footballer.

Zhang Xiaobin
张晓彬
Personal information
Date of birth (1985-02-14) February 14, 1985
Place of birth Zhangjiakou, Hebei, China
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
Shaanxi Guoli
2001–2004 Stockport County
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2006 New Zealand Knights 12 (1)
2006 Kingston City FC 8 (1)
2007–2009 Changsha Ginde 74 (2)
2010–2011 Tianjin Teda 34 (2)
2012–2017 Beijing Guoan 43 (2)
2015 → Chongqing Lifan (loan) 6 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 4 November 2017
In this Chinese name, the family name is Zhang.

Club career

Zhang Xiaobin began his career as an attacking midfielder for the various Shaanxi Guoli youth teams. In 2001, when Shaanxi Guoli sent its youth team to train in Stockport, England, the club Stockport County F.C. would be impressed by the 16-year-old Zhang and take him on loan.[1] While at Stockport Zhang spent three years rising through the youth and then reserve teams, however he was unable to break into the first team. After being unable to obtain a position on the first team of Stockport County, Zhang moved to the Australian league to start his professional senior career with A-League side New Zealand Knights where he made his debut against Queensland Roar on August 28, 2005, in the first game of the 2005–06 A-League season, which ended in a 2-0 defeat.[2] Throughout the season the club would struggle within the league and Zhang was unable to establish himself as regular within the team, however during his time with the club he would go on to score his first goal against Adelaide United in a 1-1 draw before he left to join Kingston City FC for a short period until he finally moved back to China to play for top tier side Changsha Ginde.[3]

At the beginning of the 2007 Chinese Super League Zhang joined Changsha Ginde where he would be gradually converted to a defensive midfielder and would eventually establish himself as vital member of the team while he aided the club to a tenth league standing at the end of the season.[4] For the next several seasons Zhang was a vital player as Changsha continued to be a mid-table team; however, because of his consistency fellow top-tier team Tianjin Teda became interested in him and he transferred to them on 2 April 2010.[5] His move was initially a big success and he was a vital member of the team that came second within the league; however, the next season saw the introduction of Song Chong-Gug and Zhang saw his playing significantly drop. When Tianjin Teda reached the final of the 2011 Chinese FA Cup, club manager Arie Haan dropped Zhang from the cup-winning team and Zhang left the club once Beijing Guoan showed an interest in him.[6]

On 23 June 2015, Zhang was loaned to Chinese Super League side Chongqing Lifan until 31 December 2015.[7]

References
  1. "Chinese learn the beautiful game". Stockport Express. M.E.N. Media. 15 November 2001.
  2. "Xiaobin Zhang". ultimatealeague.com. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
  3. "Zhang Xiaobin". data2.7m.cn. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
  4. "China 2007". RSSSF. 18 Apr 2008. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
  5. "天津临阵引强援". sports.sina.com.cn. 2010-04-04. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
  6. "张晓彬为投国安早已回京 上赛季末屡赴工体看球". sports.163.com. 2012-01-16. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
  7. 国安后腰成功租借重庆力帆 at sports.sohu.com 2015-06-23. Retrieved 2015-06-23 (in Chinese)
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