1. Overview
Yang Zhi is a prominent Chinese retired professional goalkeeper and current football coach. Born on January 15, 1983, in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, he spent the majority of his distinguished playing career at Beijing Guoan in the Chinese Super League, where he became a key player and a fan favorite. Renowned for his consistency and leadership, Yang Zhi achieved significant success at the club level, notably winning the Chinese Super League in 2009 and the Chinese FA Cup in 2018. He also represented the China national team with distinction, serving as the first-choice goalkeeper under manager Gao Hongbo and contributing to the team's victory in the 2010 East Asian Football Championship. After a long and successful career marked by both triumphs and challenging injuries, Yang Zhi announced his retirement from professional football on August 3, 2020, and has since transitioned into a coaching role, currently serving as the goalkeeper coach for Qingdao West Coast.
2. Early Career
Yang Zhi's foundational years in football were spent developing his skills within the youth system of a local club before making his professional debut, quickly establishing himself as a reliable player.
2.1. Youth and Amateur Career
Yang Zhi began his football education at the youth academy of Guangdong Xiongying, also known as Guangdong Rizhichuan Football Club. He progressed through the ranks, demonstrating significant potential that led to his promotion to the senior team. By 2002, he was a part of the U19 national team selected by manager Wang Baoshan.
2.2. Guangdong Xiongying
Yang Zhi made his professional debut with Guangdong Xiongying, a team in the Chinese second tier, immediately after graduating from their youth academy. He swiftly secured a starting position, featuring in 26 league games during his debut season in 2002. His consistent performances continued into the following season, where he played an additional 22 league games, helping the team achieve a tenth-place finish in the league. His impressive displays at Guangdong Xiongying quickly garnered attention from top-tier clubs.
3. Club Career
Yang Zhi's professional club career was predominantly defined by his long and successful tenure at Beijing Guoan, where he became an iconic figure and achieved significant team honors.
3.1. Beijing Guoan
In 2005, Yang Zhi transferred to Beijing Guoan in the Chinese Super League for a transfer fee of 800.00 K CNY. He rapidly established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper for the club, playing in 21 league games during his debut season. Over the subsequent years, he became an integral and consistent member of the squad, playing a crucial role in Beijing Guoan's success.
A significant highlight of his career with the club was the 2009 Chinese Super League season, where his contributions as goalkeeper were instrumental in securing the top-tier title for Beijing Guoan. He continued to be a mainstay in the team, although he faced challenges due to injuries.
Before the start of the 2012 season, Yang Zhi suffered a severe injury while playing for his home province of Guangdong in the 2012 Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup, which sidelined him for most of the season. Despite the setback, he recovered in time to regain his starting role for Beijing Guoan in the 2013 season, reaffirming his resilience and importance to the team.
In 2016, following the retirement of long-serving captain Xu Yunlong, Yang Zhi was appointed the new captain of Beijing Guoan, a testament to his leadership qualities and stature within the club. However, his later career was again affected by injuries. In February 2018, while at a training camp in Portugal, he suffered a left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. Although he returned to training in September, he did not make any official appearances during the 2018 season. He also did not feature in any official matches in 2019 and was delisted from the first team for surgery in the summer. His contract with Beijing Guoan expired at the end of 2019, bringing an end to his 14-year career with the club.
4. International Career
Yang Zhi had a notable international career, representing the China national football team and becoming their first-choice goalkeeper under Gao Hongbo.
4.1. Major International Tournaments
Yang Zhi made his debut for the China national football team on August 10, 2006, in a friendly match against Thailand, coming on as a substitute in a match that China won 4-0. His competitive debut followed on October 28, 2007, in a 1-0 victory against Myanmar during 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification.
His status within the national team significantly increased with the appointment of Gao Hongbo as manager. Gao Hongbo promoted Yang Zhi to the first-choice goalkeeper position, with Yang starting in Gao's first game on May 29, 2009, which resulted in a 1-1 draw against Germany.
Yang Zhi was a crucial member of the China national team that participated in the 2010 East Asian Football Championship. He played a pivotal role in the team's success, notably keeping a clean sheet in the match against South Korea, which China won 3-0. His excellent performance throughout the tournament helped China secure the championship, and he was individually recognized with the Best Goalkeeper award for the competition. Yang Zhi was also included in the final squad for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup.
5. Career Statistics
This section provides a comprehensive overview of Yang Zhi's professional statistics throughout his club and international career.
5.1. Club Statistics
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| China PR | League | FA Cup | CSL Cup | Asia | Total | |||||||
| 2003 | Guangdong Xiongying | Chinese Jia-B League | 26 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 29 | 0 | ||
| 2004 | China League One | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 24 | 0 | ||
| 2005 | Beijing Guoan | Chinese Super League | 21 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 31 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 24 | 0 | ||||
| 2007 | 28 | 0 | - | - | - | 28 | 0 | |||||
| 2008 | 30 | 0 | - | - | 6 | 0 | 36 | 0 | ||||
| 2009 | 30 | 0 | - | - | 5 | 0 | 35 | 0 | ||||
| 2010 | 29 | 0 | - | - | 6 | 0 | 35 | 0 | ||||
| 2011 | 30 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 34 | 0 | ||||
| 2012 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 13 | 0 | ||||
| 2013 | 28 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 8 | 0 | 40 | 0 | |||
| 2014 | 30 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 6 | 0 | 39 | 0 | |||
| 2015 | 30 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 7 | 0 | 39 | 0 | |||
| 2016 | 30 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 34 | 0 | ||||
| 2017 | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 30 | 0 | ||||
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | China PR | 398 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 470 | 0 | |
5.2. International Statistics
| National team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2006 | 1 | 0 |
| 2007 | 1 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 8 | 0 |
| 2010 | 11 | 0 |
| 2011 | 13 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 38 | 0 |
6. Retirement
Yang Zhi officially announced his retirement from professional football on August 3, 2020. This announcement was made during an interview on the Beijing TV program, 足球100分Zúqiú BǎifēnChinese (Chinese characters) (Football 100 Fen). His decision came after a prolonged period affected by injuries that limited his appearances in his final seasons with Beijing Guoan, culminating in his contract expiring at the end of 2019.
7. Coaching Career
Following his retirement as a player, Yang Zhi transitioned into a coaching career, focusing on goalkeeper training. He began his coaching journey by serving as the goalkeeper coach for the China U-20 national team from 2023 to 2024. In 2024, he took on the role of goalkeeper coach for the Chinese Super League club Qingdao West Coast.
8. Honours and Awards
Yang Zhi accumulated several team titles and individual accolades throughout his career, highlighting his success at both club and international levels.
8.1. Club Honours
Beijing Guoan
- Chinese Super League: 2009
- Chinese FA Cup: 2018
8.2. International Honours
China national football team
- East Asian Football Championship: 2010
8.3. Individual Awards
- Chinese Super League Team of the Year: 2007, 2008, 2009
- East Asian Football Championship Best Goalkeeper: 2010
9. External links
- [http://sports.sina.com.cn/star/yang_zhi/index.shtml Player Profile at Sina.com.cn]
- [http://csldata.sports.sohu.com/player.php?regnum=MA02132 Player stats at Sohu.com]