Zhang Yuan 张远

Zhang Yuan (Chinese: 张远; pinyin: Zhang Yuan; born 8 December 1989) is a Chinese footballer who currently plays as a right-back or right winger for Shenzhen FC.

Club Career

Zhang Yuan would show a keen interest in baseball and football while in primary school, he chose to play football in the fifth grade and then systemly received football training in Renmin University High School. He was scouted by the Chinese under-20 national team manager Liu Chunming who recommended him to Chengdu Blades. Chengdu would transfer him into their squad at the beginning of the 2008 league season. His height and speed would see Zhang quickly included into the club's first team and he would make his league debut on 29 March 2008 against Liaoning Whowin in a 1-1 draw. Often used out on the wings to utilize his speed, Zhang would gain considerable playing time and go on to score his first league goal on 17 May 2008 against Changsha Ginde in a 1-1 draw. By the following season, Zhang was an established player within the first team, however the club were relegated to the second tier at the end of the 2009 league season when it was discovered that the club match-fixed several games in 2007 when the club won promotion. Zhang would decide to remain faithful towards the club and would go on to play in twenty-one games, scoring five goals in the process when he helped guide the club to second within the league at the end of the 2010 league season gaining immediate promotion back into the Chinese Super League.

On 2 January 2012, Zhang transferred to Chinese Super League side Guangzhou R&F. He would make his debut on 16 March 2012 in a league game against Guangzhou Evergrande F.C. that ended in a 2-0 victory. After the game he would go on to establish himself as a vital member of the team and by the 2014 Chinese Super League campaign he would aid the team to their highest ever league position of third and qualification for the AFC Champions League for the first time. After playing more than 100 times for the club, mainly