Ji Xiang (footballer)

In this Chinese name, the family name is Ji.
Ji Xiang
吉翔
Personal information
Full name Ji Xiang
Date of birth (1990-03-01) 1 March 1990 (age 34)
Place of birth Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Right winger, right-back
Team information
Current team
 Nanjing City (on loan from Shandong Taishan)
Number 45
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2020 Jiangsu Suning[A] 255 (23)
2021– Shandong Taishan 42 (0)
2024– →Nanjing City (loan) 0 (0)
International career‡
2014– China 11 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:48, 26 April 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11 June 2021

Ji Xiang (Chinese: 吉翔; pinyin: Jí Xiáng; born 1 March 1990) is a Chinese professional footballer who currently plays as a right winger or right-back for China League One club Nanjing City.[1]

Club career

Ji Xiang started his professional football career with Jiangsu Suning in the 2008 season when he was promoted to their senior team. He would go on to make his debut on October 18, 2008 in a league game against Qingdao Hailifeng F.C. in a 2-0 victory where he came on as a substitute.[2] At the end of the league season Ji Xiang would go on to be part of the squad that won the division title and promotion to the top tier of Chinese football.[3] In the top tier the Jiangsu manager, Pei Encai was initially reluctant to use Ji Xiang, however by the 2010 league season he showed more faith in him, which saw Ji Xiang repay him by scoring his first goal for the club on August 22, 2010 against Qingdao Jonoon F.C. in a 4-0 victory.[4]

By the following season he would establish himself as a regular within the team despite Pei Encai leaving and in the 2012 season, Ji broke the record for the fastest goal in Chinese Super League history, scoring a goal timed at 7 seconds in a 1-1 draw against Guangzhou Evergrande on October 20, 2012.[5] Now an establish integral part of the team he would go on to win the 2015 Chinese FA Cup against Shanghai Shenhua.[6] This would be followed by the 2020 Chinese Super League title when he would win the clubs first league title with them.[7] On 28 February 2021, the parent company of the club Suning Holdings Group announced that operations were going to cease immediately due to financial difficulties.[8]

On 23 March 2021 he would join top tier club Shandong Taishan on a free transfer.[9] He made his debut for the club on 20 April 2021 in a league game against Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic that ended in a 2-0 victory.[10] He would immediately establish himself as an integral member of the team that went on to the win the 2021 Chinese Super League title and 2021 Chinese FA Cup.[11] This would be followed up by him winning the 2022 Chinese FA Cup with them the next season.[12]

International career

Ji made his debut for the Chinese national team on 13 December 2014 in a 4-0 win against Kyrgyzstan. However, this match was not recognised as an international "A" match by FIFA. He finally made his official debut on 21 December 2014 in a 0-0 draw against Palestine.

Career statistics

Club statistics

As of 31 January 2023.[13]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Jiangsu Suning 2008 China League One 3 0 - - - 3 0
2009 Chinese Super League 0 0 - - - 0 0
2010 13 4 - - - 13 4
2011 23 2 1 0 - - 24 2
2012 30 6 1 1 - - 31 7
2013 20 1 1 0 4 0 1[a] 0 26 1
2014 23 1 5 1 - - 28 2
2015 29 0 6 0 - - 35 0
2016 28 5 7 1 6 2 1[a] 0 42 8
2017 26 2 3 1 5 1 1[a] 0 35 4
2018 22 2 4 1 - - 26 3
2019 20 0 2 0 - - 22 0
2020 18 0 5 0 - - 23 0
Total 255 23 35 5 15 3 3 0 308 31
Shandong Taishan 2021 Chinese Super League 14 0 6 0 — — 20 0
2022 25 0 3 0 0 0 — 28 0
Total 39 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 48 0
Career total 294 23 44 5 15 3 3 0 356 31
  1. ^ a b c Appearances in Chinese FA Super Cup

International statistics

National team
Year Apps Goals
2014 1 0
2015 7 0
2016 0 0
2017 0 0
2018 0 0
2019 2 1
2020 0 0
2021 1 0
Total 11 1

International goals

As of 18 December 2019
Scores and results list China's goal tally first.
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 18 December 2019 Busan Asiad Main Stadium, Busan, South Korea  Hong Kong 1–0 2–0 2019 EAFF E-1 Football Championship

Honours

Club

Jiangsu Suning

Shandong Taishan

Notes

  1. ^ Jiangsu Sainty changed its name to Jiangsu Suning in 2016.

References

  1. ^ "Jiangsu 1-1 Hangzhou Lucheng". ESPN Star Sports. 24 September 2010. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  2. ^ "马戈诺谭斯联手发威 舜天2-0青岛主场保持不败". sports.sohu.com. 18 October 2008. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  3. ^ "China League One 2008". soccerway.com. 15 November 2008. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  4. ^ "JIANGSU SUNING VS. QINGDAO JONOON 4-0". soccerway.com. 22 August 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  5. ^ "吉翔创中超最快进球纪录". sports.21cn.com. 21 October 2012. Archived from the original on 17 December 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  6. ^ a b "足协杯-萨米尔加时绝杀 舜天客场1-0申花首夺冠". Sports.sina.com.cn. 29 November 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  7. ^ "Alex Teixeira shines as Jiangsu claim maiden Chinese Super League title". ESPN. 16 November 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  8. ^ "Inter Milan doubt as Suning call time on Chinese champions Jiangsu FC". South China Morning Post. 28 February 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  9. ^ "官方：吉翔、徐新加盟山东泰山" (in Chinese). M.dongqiudi.net. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  10. ^ "CHONGQING LIANGJIANG VS. SHANDONG TAISHAN 0 - 2". Soccerway.com. 20 April 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  11. ^ a b "山东泰山队获得2021赛季中超联赛冠军". k.sina.com.cn. 27 December 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  12. ^ a b "山东泰山队第八次夺足协杯冠军 创足协杯三连冠纪录". ent.people.com.cn. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  13. ^ 吉翔 at sodasoccer Retrieved 2015-11-29 (in Chinese) Archived 2019-11-11 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ "中超-特谢拉造红牌+破门 苏宁2-1恒大夺中超首冠" (in Chinese). Sports.sina.com.cn. 12 November 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2021.