Zhang Xiaobin (footballer, born 1985)
Zhang Xiaobin | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 14, 1985 Zhangjiakou, Hebei, China |
| Occupation | Professional footballer |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Known for | Playing as a midfielder for multiple clubs including New Zealand Knights, Changsha Ginde, Tianjin Teda, Beijing Guoan, and Chongqing Lifan |
Zhang Xiaobin (; born February 14, 1985, in Zhangjiakou, Hebei) is a professional Chinese football player.
Club career
Zhang started his football journey as an attacking midfielder within the youth setup of Shaanxi Guoli. In 2001, the club arranged for its youth squad to train in Stockport, England, where Zhang caught the attention of Stockport County F.C. and secured a loan move. Over the next three years, he featured mainly for their youth and reserve sides but was unable to make an appearance for the senior team.
Following his inability to break into Stockport’s first team, Zhang launched his professional career in the A-League with New Zealand Knights. He made his debut on August 28, 2005, facing Queensland Roar. Despite the team's overall challenges, he netted his inaugural goal against Adelaide United before a short stint at Kingston City FC. Subsequently, Zhang returned to China to compete in the top division with Changsha Ginde.
During his tenure at Changsha Ginde starting in 2007, Zhang shifted to a defensive midfield position and established himself as a pivotal squad member, contributing to the club’s tenth-place finish. His reliable displays drew attention from fellow Chinese Super League side Tianjin Teda, which he joined on April 2, 2010. Initially integral to Tianjin Teda’s lineup that secured second place in the league, his involvement diminished in the subsequent season following the arrival of Song Chong-Gug. After being excluded from the 2011 Chinese FA Cup-winning team under coach Arie Haan, Zhang moved to Beijing Guoan after they expressed interest.
On June 23, 2015, Zhang was loaned out to fellow Chinese Super League club Chongqing Lifan until December 31, 2015.
External links
- Player Profile at 7m.cn
- Player stats at sohu.com
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1985 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Zhangjiakou
- Chinese men's footballers
- Footballers from Hebei
- Chinese expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers in England
- A-League Men players
- Expatriate men's association footballers in New Zealand
- New Zealand Knights FC players
- Chinese Super League players
- 21st-century Chinese sportsmen
- Guangzhou City F.C. players
- Tianjin Jinmen Tiger F.C. players
- Beijing Guoan F.C. players
- Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic F.C. players
- Men's association football midfielders