Zhang Aokai (Chinese: 张奥凯; pinyin: Zhāng Àokǎi; Mandarin pronunciation: [ʈʂáŋ âʊ kʰàɪ]; born 18 February 2000), original name Zhang OK (Chinese: 张OK),[1] is a Chinese footballer who plays as a left winger for Shanghai Jiading Huilong.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Zhang Aokai | ||
| Date of birth | 18 February 2000 | ||
| Place of birth | Xianyang, Shaanxi, China | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Left winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Shanghai Jiading Huilong | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2010–2012 | Shaanxi Daqin | ||
| 2012–2017 | Guangzhou Evergrande | ||
| 2017–2019 | Espanyol | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016 | Guangzhou Evergrande | 1 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | Espanyol B | 0 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | → Horta (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2020 | → Shijiazhuang Ever Bright (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2021–2023 | Cangzhou Mighty Lions | 0 | (0) |
| 2022 | → Jiangxi Dark Horse Junior (loan) | 14 | (4) |
| 2023– | Shanghai Jiading Huilong | 0 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2015 | China U17 | 7 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:00, 31 December 2022 (UTC) | |||
Club career edit
Zhang Aokai joined Chinese Super League side Guangzhou Evergrande's youth academy from China League Two club Shaanxi Daqin in 2012.[2] He was promoted to Guangzhou's first team squad by manager Luiz Felipe Scolari in July 2016.[3] Zhang made his senior debut on 30 October 2016 in a 4–0 home win against Shandong Luneng, coming on for Zheng Zhi in the 85th minute and taking over the captaincy for the rest of the match,[4] making him the first player born in the new millennium to make an appearance in any of the Chinese professional leagues.[5]
Zhang was excluded from Guangzhou's first team squad for the 2017 season. He left the club and underwent a trial with La Liga side Espanyol in the summer of 2017.[6] He signed a professional contract with Espanyol and joined Juvenil A team on 19 July 2018.[7] On 26 September 2019 Espanyol confirmed, that Aokai had joined UA Horta on loan for the rest of the season.[8] On 29 July 2020 he returned to China with Shijiazhuang Ever Bright (now known as Cangzhou Mighty Lions) initially on loan before making the move permanent.[9]
Personal life edit
Zhang Aokai's original name was Zhang OK; however, his given name violated the Name Registration Ordinance of the People's Republic of China; and thus, he could not apply for an identification card. Zhang's father changed his given name to Aokai, which shares a similar pronunciation with OK.[1]
Career statistics edit
- As of 31 December 2022.[10]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Guangzhou Evergrande | 2016 | Chinese Super League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0[a] | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Espanyol B | 2019–20 | Segunda División B | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | |||
| Horta (loan) | 2019–20 | Tercera División | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 0 | ||
| Shijiazhuang Ever Bright (loan) | 2020 | Chinese Super League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | ||
| Cangzhou Mighty Lions | 2021 | Chinese Super League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | ||
| Jiangxi Dark Horse Junior (loan) | 2022 | China League Two | 14 | 4 | - | - | - | 14 | 4 | |||
| Career total | 17 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 4 | ||
- ^ Appearance(s) in Chinese FA Super Cup
Honours edit
Club edit
References edit
- ^ a b "恒大足校：张OK其实叫张奥凯 李开朗琪罗退学". Tencent (in Chinese). 2014-09-20. Retrieved 2016-10-30.
- ^ "恒大足校16岁小将进一队体验 他的名字叫"张OK"". Netease (in Chinese). 2016-07-15. Retrieved 2016-10-30.
- ^ "16岁小将张奥凯进恒大一队 黄博文叔叔亲当陪练". Sohu (in Chinese). 2016-07-15. Retrieved 2016-10-30.
- ^ "斯帅:张奥凯担中国足球责任 明年年轻人机会更多". Sina (in Chinese). 2016-10-30. Retrieved 2016-10-30.
- ^ "恒大00后小将登场创三项纪录 接过郑智队长袖标". Sohu (in Chinese). 2016-10-30. Retrieved 2016-10-30.
- ^ "张奥凯已抵达西班牙人俱乐部 能否加盟仍未定". Sina (in Chinese). 2017-08-10. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
- ^ "Aokai Zhang, nuevo jugador del Juvenil A". RCD Espanyol (in Spanish). 2018-07-19. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
- ^ Aokai, cedido a la UAT Horta, rcdespanyol.com, 26 September 2019
- ^ "国足00后小将张奥凯，16岁就登陆中超，交往外国女友后逐渐平庸". sohu.com. 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ "张奥凯". sodasoccer.com. Retrieved 2016-10-30. Archived 2016-10-31 at the Wayback Machine
External links edit
- Zhang Aokai at Soccerway