Ning Weichen

In this Chinese name, the family name is Ning.
Ning Weichen
Personal information
Date of birth (1996-03-18) 18 March 1996 (age 28)
Place of birth Shenyang, Liaoning, China[1]
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Zibo Home
Youth career
Shenyang Dongjin
2014–2015 Mafra
2015–2016 Loures
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2017 Cova da Piedade 2 (0)
2017 → Tourizense (loan) 3 (0)
2017–2021 Beijing Guoan 1 (0)
2021 Xi'an Wolves 15 (0)
2022–2023 Zhuhai Qin'ao 14 (1)
2023 Xi'an Chongde Ronghai
2024– Zibo Home 12 (0)
International career
2016 China U19 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:14, 15 October 2024 (UTC)

Ning Weichen (Chinese: 宁伟辰; born 18 March 1996) is a Chinese footballer who plays as a forward for Zibo Home.

Club career

Early career

Born in Shenyang in the Chinese province of Liaoning, Ning began his career with Shenyang Dongjin, before being approached by scouts from Portugal, and moved to the country in April 2014.[2] Having initially played for Mafra, he moved to Loures after a year, where he suffered a muscle tear to his right thigh, keeping him out for six months.[2] Ning signed for Cova da Piedade in August 2016, going on to make his debut three month later in a 2–1 loss to Famalicão.[3] Following a short loan to Tourizense, where he made three appearances, Ning was released by Cova da Piedade.

Beijing Guoan

He met Li Ming while playing for the Chinese under-19 side against the youth side of Dutch club ADO Den Haag, where Li was coaching, and on returning to China, he joined Chinese Super League club Beijing Guoan, where Li was now general manager, in July 2017.[2][4] He was initially assigned to the club's reserve team, and upon making his debut he stated his intention to play for the first team.[2]

He made just one appearance for Beijing Guoan, coming on as a late substitute for Jin Taiyan in a 1–0 loss to Jiangsu Suning at the end of the 2017 season, but was relegated to the reserve team the following year.[5] So little was his impact on the team over the next two seasons, news website Sohu described a moment where his shot broke a goalframe at a training camp in Portugal as one of his highlights with the club.[5]

Later career

Ning played for the Xi'an Wolves in the 2021 season, and scored his first goal in professional football for the club in the Chinese FA Cup against Hebei Kungfu in August 2021.[6] He joined fellow China League Two side Zhuhai Qin'ao in 2022, after the dissolution of Xi'an Wolves, scoring only his second goal in senior football in July 2022, in a 2–1 win against Jiangxi Dark Horse Junior.[6]

For the 2023 season he dropped down to the Chinese Champions League to join Xi'an Chongde Ronghai.[7] He remained in the Chinese Champions League the following year with Zibo Home, a move seen as a disappointment by media in China, given his early promise.[8]

Age fraud

During his time with Beijing Guoan, Ning changed his year of birth from 1996 to 1997, in order to potentially be called up to the China Olympic Team for the 2020 AFC U-23 Championship. As he rectified the change quickly, he was not punished by the Chinese Football Association.[9][10]

Career statistics

Club

As of 15 October 2024.[11]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Cova da Piedade 2016–17 LigaPro 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Tourizense (loan) 2016–17 Campeonato de Portugal 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
Beijing Guoan 2017 Chinese Super League 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2018 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2019 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2020 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Xi'an Wolves 2021 China League Two 15 0 3[a] 1 0 0 18 1
Zhuhai Qin'ao 2022 14 1 0 0 0 0 14 1
Xi'an Chongde Ronghai 2023 Chinese Champions League – 1[a] 0 0 0 1 0
Qibo Home 2024 12 0 0 0 0 0 12 0
Career total 20 0 3 0 1 0 24 0
Notes
  1. ^ a b Appearances in the Chinese FA Cup

References

  1. ^ a b Ning Weichen at WorldFootball.net
  2. ^ a b c d "国安新援预备队完成首秀 坦言每周都想进大名单" [Guoan's new player made his debut in the reserve team and admitted that he wanted to be on the squad every week]. inews.ifeng.com (in Chinese). 31 July 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  3. ^ "宁伟辰葡甲首秀替补登场 国青主力难阻球队落败" [Ning Weichen made his debut as a substitute in the Portuguese League, but the main players of the Chinese National Youth Team could not prevent the team from losing]. gd.sina.com.cn (in Chinese). 29 November 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  4. ^ "国安官宣留葡小将宁伟辰 全能锋线补充U23血液" [Guoan officially announced that Ning Weichen, a young player who stayed in Portugal, will be the all-round striker to add U23 blood]. sports.sina.cn (in Chinese). 17 July 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  5. ^ a b "国安小将注册年龄变大一岁，U23最后一年却被下放预备队" [The registration age of Guoan's young players has increased by one year, but they were relegated to the reserve team in the last year of the U23]. sohu.com (in Chinese). 14 March 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  6. ^ a b "李明钦点国青爱徒，国安首秀即绝唱，26岁斩获职业联赛首球" [Li Ming personally selected his favorite player from the National Youth Team. His debut for Guoan was his last. He scored his first goal in the professional league at the age of 26.]. 163.com (in Chinese). 18 July 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  7. ^ "官方：前国安球员宁伟辰加盟中冠西安荣海" [Official: Former Guoan player Ning Weichen joins China League One Xi'an Ronghai]. m.dongqiudi.com (in Chinese). 29 March 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  8. ^ "错失国安机会，宁伟辰如今27岁只能踢中冠联赛" [Missed the opportunity to play in Guoan, Ning Weichen is now 27 years old and can only play in the Chinese Champions League]. sohu.com (in Chinese). 14 April 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  9. ^ "国安王牌新星已正式离队，曾是国字号主力，新东家即将浮出水面" [Guoan's ace star has officially left the team. He was once a national team player, and his new club is about to surface]. i.ifeng.com (in Chinese). 14 March 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  10. ^ "案例回顾：李铮&宁伟辰，两名96年出生的97国青球员" [Case Review: Li Zheng & Ning Weichen, two 1997 National Youth Team players born in 1996]. m.dongqiudi.com (in Chinese). 6 June 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  11. ^ Ning Weichen at Soccerway