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Li Yongjia

Li Yongjia
Personal information
Full name Li Yongjia
Date of birth (2001-07-24) 24 July 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth Sanshui, Guangdong, China
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Meizhou Hakka
Number 38
Youth career
2019–2022 Guangzhou City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022 Guangzhou City 27 (1)
2023– Meizhou Hakka 28 (1)
International career
2016–2018 China U17
2023 China U23 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 November 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 September 2023

Li Yongjia (Chinese: 李永佳; pinyin: Lǐ Yǒngjiā; born 24 July 2001) is a Chinese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for China League One club Meizhou Hakka.

Early life

Born in Sanshui, Guangdong, Li Yongjia was identified as having better promise in football than his peers at a young age.[1] In his primary school years, he led his school, Xinan Central Primary School, to clinch first-place in a district-wide primary school football competition.[1] In 2013, to pursue a future career in football, he joined the Sanshui Sports School, then the Foshan Sports School shortly after.[1] In 2016, he joined the Guangdong Youth Football Team, and took his team to a second-place finish in the 2018 National Youth Super League at the under-17 level.[1] In 2019, Li Yongjia joined the youth academy of Chinese Super League club Guangzhou R&F.[1]

Club career

Guangzhou City

On 17 May 2022, it was announced that Li Yongjia was promoted to Guangzhou City's first-team squad for the upcoming 2022 Chinese Super League season, fielding the number 38 shirt.[2] He made his senior and professional debut on 15 June 2022, coming on as a 79-minute substitute for Zhang Gong in a league game against Henan Songshan Longmen, which ended in a 3–0 defeat for Guangzhou City.[3] He then gained consistent playing time under then-Guangzhou City head coach Li Weifeng, and scored his first senior goal on 13 September 2022 with a curler in a 1–0 Guangzhou derby victory against Guangzhou FC,[4] becoming the first ever CSL goalscorer from Sanshui.[5]

Meizhou Hakka

Following Guangzhou City's financial difficulties and their subsequent dissolution, on 9 March 2023, Li Yongjia signed for Chinese Super League side Meizhou Hakka, where he would continue wearing the number 38.[6] He made his debut for Meizhou Hakka on 15 April 2023, on the opening game of the 2023 league season away against Beijing Guoan, which ended in a 1–1 draw.[5] He scored his first goal for Meizhou Hakka on 9 June 2023, as a substitute in a 3–2 home loss against Cangzhou Mighty Lions.[7]

International career

On 12 September 2023, Li Yongjia was selected as part of the 22-men squad that would compete for China in the 2022 Asian Games.[8]

Career statistics

Club

As of 20 October 2024[9]
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Guangzhou City 2022 Chinese Super League 27 1 0 0 27 1
Meizhou Hakka 2023 Chinese Super League 15 1 2 0 17 1
2024 Chinese Super League 13 0 1 0 14 0
Total 28 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 31 1
Career total 55 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 58 2

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "从佛山"西甲"踢到亚运赛场!三水籍足球小将李永佳完成首秀!" (in Chinese). The Paper. 23 September 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  2. ^ "广州城新赛季中超大名单:唐淼领衔,卡尔多纳和吉列尔梅在列". dongqiudi.com (in Chinese). 17 May 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  3. ^ "河南3-0广州城迎三连胜,多拉多破门伤退,韩东、冯博轩建功". dongqiudi.com (in Chinese). 15 June 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  4. ^ "广州城1-0广州迎连胜,李永佳世界波一击制胜,韦世豪失良机". dongqiudi.com (in Chinese). 13 September 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  5. ^ a b "首发出场,踢足82分钟!三水籍球员李永佳亮相中超揭幕战" (in Chinese). The Paper. 17 April 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  6. ^ "官方:梅州签程月磊、潘喜明、饶伟辉、李永佳、姚道刚、陈杰". dongqiudi.com (in Chinese). 9 March 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  7. ^ "梅州2-3沧州,奥乌苏世界波绝杀,洛卡迪亚传射,尹聪耀闪击". dongqiudi.com (in Chinese). 9 June 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  8. ^ "亚运男足名单出炉:戴伟浚领衔,国安3将在列" (in Chinese). Sina Sports. 12 September 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  9. ^ Li Yongjia at Soccerway