Zhang Aokai

Zhang Aokai (Chinese: 张奥凯; pinyin: Zhāng Àokǎi; Mandarin pronunciation: [ʈʂáŋ âu kʰài]; born 18 February 2000), original name Zhang OK (Chinese: 张OK),[1] is a Chinese footballer who plays for Chinese Super League side Shijiazhuang Ever Bright.[2]

In this Chinese name, the family name is Zhang.
Zhang Aokai
张奥凯
Personal information
Full name Zhang Aokai
Date of birth (2000-02-18) 18 February 2000
Place of birth Xianyang, Shaanxi, China
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Left winger
Club information
Current team
 Shijiazhuang Ever Bright
Number 45
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 0 (0)
National team
2015 China U17 7 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 12:00, 3 March 2020 (UTC)

Club career

Zhang Aokai joined Chinese Super League side Guangzhou Evergrande's youth academy from China League Two club Shaanxi Daqin in 2012.[3] He was promoted to Guangzhou's first team squad by manager Luiz Felipe Scolari in July 2016.[4] 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,[5] making him the first player born in the new millennium to make an appearance in any of the Chinese professional leagues.[6]

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.[7] He signed a professional contract with Espanyol and joined Juvenil A team on 19 July 2018.[2] On 26 September 2019 Espanyol confirmed, that Aokai had joined UA Horta on loan for the rest of the season.[8]

Personal life

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
As of 30 October 2016 [9]
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Others Total
SeasonClubLeague AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals
China PR League FA Cup CSL Cup Asia Others1 Total
2016Guangzhou EvergrandeChinese Super League1000-000010
Total China PR 100000000010

1Other tournaments include Chinese FA Super Cup.

Honours

Club

Guangzhou Evergrande

References
  1. "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.
  2. "Aokai Zhang, nuevo jugador del Juvenil A". RCD Espanyol (in Spanish). 2018-07-19. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  3. "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.
  4. "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.
  5. "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.
  6. "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.
  7. "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.
  8. Aokai, cedido a la UAT Horta, rcdespanyol.com, 26 September 2019
  9. "张奥凯". sodasoccer.com. Retrieved 2016-10-30.


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